Owned and operated by Motorola Solutions, the State of Illinois is a major partner in the system.
Those agencies with resources to share for the system, such as licensed radio channels or desirable tower space, may negotiate different costs with Motorola.
Various grants and funding sources have allowed StarCom21 radios to be installed at many locations and provided to agencies for mutual aid purposes.
Since most radios only transmit a small percentage of the time, the channels are shared among many users.
Of the many individual tower sites, simulcast groups cover the Chicago, St. Louis, Peoria and Rockford metro areas.