ESChat and LA-RICS launch P25 LMR integrated Mission Critical Broadband Push-to-Talk (MCPTT) service to Public Safety Agencies across Los Angeles County

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ESChat announced completion of the initial system integration, and availability of ESChat service to participating agencies within the County of Los Angeles. The integration and service are part of a contract awarded to ESChat in July 2025 by the Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communication System (LA-RICS) Joint Powers Authority (JPA), to integrate the 'ESChat for Government' platform with the LA-RICS P25 Land Mobile Radio (LMR) network, enabling LA-RICS to offer ESChat service to agencies within its region.

Integration of the ESChat and LA-RICS networks leverages the P25 standards-based (TIA-102) Inter Sub-System Interface (ISSI) interface which typically provides connectivity between independent P25 radio systems. When connecting ESChat to P25 via ISSI, the P25 system treats ESChat as if it were another P25 system, providing full-featured, secure and scalable interoperability. While the ISSI interface is used to carry secure voice between the systems, the [ESChat to LA-RICS] integration also leverages the TIA-102 Over-the-Air Rekeying (OTAR) interface to manage secure distribution of AES-256 encryption keys.

"In my experience, Broadband PTT to P25 Interoperability on this scale is simply not possible using traditional gateway-based interoperability solutions. Leveraging the ISSI and KMF interfaces was the only viable option to integrate broadband PTT with a P25 system of our size," said Scott Edson, Executive Director of LA-RICS. "Our subscribers have autonomy to select the wireless carrier that best serves their agency. It was therefore a requirement that our broadband PTT service operate on any wireless carrier. ESChat fulfils this requirement nicely by providing a carrier agnostic platform, allowing each agency to select the carrier of their preference, while still supporting secure inter-agency communication and interoperability."

The initial deployment includes ISSI integration of over eight-hundred LA-RICS P25 Talkgroups, plus OTAR encryption key management. Access to these P25 Talkgroups is now available to the LA-RICS ESChat users. The second integration phase will be completed in late 2026, and includes ISSI enhancements related to the company's FedRAMP Authorized 'ESChat for Government' solution.

"Interoperability is a primary focus of our ESChat portfolio, and we're confident that we do interoperability better than anyone," said Josh Lober, President of ESChat. "Interoperability is a multi-dimensional challenge. Communication must be native and seamless, whether you are communicating between agencies, across wireless carriers, between disparate PTT system types, or with competitive broadband PTT solutions."

About ESChat:

ESChat (eschat.com) is a leading provider of mission critical broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) services. ESChat is a FedRAMP Authorized, TX-RAMP Certified, FirstNet Certified™ solution and is also approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for U.S. military operational use. ESChat operates on and across all wireless carriers, providing cross-carrier interoperability. ESChat is available to federal government customers through the company's GSA Contract, which also includes a cooperative purchasing agreement for state, local, and tribal government agencies.

SOURCE ESChat