Image by Flickr user johnmuk

Charleston County's digital radio system used primarily by public safety workers is getting a $12 million upgrade in the new year.

The current system, which has proven itself unreliable time and time again, is an eight-tower system that serves as a means of communication for Charleston police, firefighters and nearly 50 other public agencies.

Charleston County's digital radio system has failed during emergency situations on the personnel who depend on it. The Post and Courier has an article from November on the trials and tribulations of the substandard network; read it here.

To fix the problems, County officials signed a contract with Motorola for the work on December 9th and expect all upgrades to be finished by November 2011.

For more on the digital radio upgrades, hop over to the article in today's Post and Courier.