Site Vantage is transforming RF site fault and performance management with a comprehensive solution designed to significantly cut operational costs while ensuring maximum network availability. Combining cutting-edge hardware and software, it covers a wide broadband frequency range of 132 to 960 MHz, offers onboard I/Os and features an enhanced graphical user interface. This gives network operators complete visibility into site performance, enabling them to make informed, data-driven maintenance decisions.
By automating routine preventative health checks and tests, Site Vantage reduces the need for manual labour and minimises downtime. Its advanced capabilities mean fewer technician visits, resulting in cost savings. Additionally, its broadband functionality simplifies management of multiband networks, cutting expenses further by requiring less hardware.
Security is another key advantage. Site Vantage supports HTTPS and SNMP v3 protocols, providing secure communication and protecting critical network data from potential cyberthreats. Its open API allows easy integration with other monitoring and data analytics systems, enhancing the platform’s flexibility.
With real-time, non-intrusive monitoring of critical RF metrics such as forward and reflected Tx power, antenna isolation, Tx filter noise suppression, Rx system carrier rejection and Rx RSSI levels across 80 or more channels, operators can detect and resolve issues remotely and promptly. This reduces downtime and enables smooth network operation.
For network operators aiming to reduce costs, boost efficiency, maximise network availability and strengthen security, Site Vantage offers a complete solution.
By the time this issue reaches readers, we will be close to the end of 2024 — and what a year it’s been. Just a few months ago, in September, the Senate’s Environment and Communications References Committee released its final report on the Optus Network Outage, making recommendations including mandatory communication from telcos in the event of outages, large-scale network roaming arrangements during such outages, and the inclusion of telcos as critical infrastructure providers in the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act. In October, the long-delayed 3G shutdown finally began, causing confusion for consumers whose supposedly 4Gand 5G-compatible devices suddenly stopped working (embarrassingly, my own husband was among them!). And in November, the Australian Department of Defence announced that it would not be proceeding with its $7 billion strategic military satellite communications program, claiming the single-orbit GEO-based system at the centre of the program would no longer meet its strategic priorities.
Another highlight of the past few months was of course Comms Connect Melbourne, which brought hundreds of delegates to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to view the latest products, network with their peers and hear from industry experts. With the conference component of the event encompassing three concurrent streams, five panel sessions and dozens of speakers, it would be impossible to succinctly summarise the content discussed — and yet, we give it a red hot go in our article on page six!
Elsewhere in this issue, we have a couple of articles looking at the various technologies that can be used for powerline inspection, which should help to identify defects before they get out of hand. We also look at the upward trajectory currently being experienced by private LTE and 5G networks, and examine AI’s evolving role in public safety. Finally, we have the return of our annual Insights interview series, in which a couple of industry leaders reflect on the year that was and the challenges that lie ahead.
See you in 2025!
Lauren Davis, Editor cc@wfmedia.com.au
Art Director/Production Manager: Linda Klobusiak
Art/Production: Marija Tutkovska
Circulation: Alex Dalland circulation@wfmedia.com.au
Copy Control: Ashna Mehta copy@wfmedia.com.au
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Calendar
December
2024 ICCRA Critical Control Rooms World Congress
2–5 December 2024
Hilton Columbus Downtown, USA web.cvent.com/event/82b504bb-848a-4923-8d5c945e5835d886/summary
ITU World Radiocommunication Seminar 2024 2–6 December 2024
Place des Nations, Switzerland, and online www.itu.int/wrs-24
2024 IEEE Global Communications Conference 8–12 December 2024
Cape Town International Conference Centre, South Africa globecom2024.ieee-globecom.org
January
WONS 2025
27–29 January 2025
Hotel Neuhintertux, Austria 2025.wons-conference.org
5th IEEE International Symposium on Joint Communications & Sensing 28–30 January 2025
Hotel Lasaretti Oulu, Finland, and online jcns-symposium.org
March
MWC Barcelona 2025
3–5 March 2025
Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain mwcbarcelona.com
The BAPCO Annual Event 5–6 March 2025
Coventry Building Society Arena, UK bapco-show.co.uk
SATELLITE 2025
10–13 March 2025
Walter E. Washington Convention Center, USA satshow.com
IWCE 2025
17–20 March 2025
Las Vegas Convention Center, USA iwceexpo.com
April
EENA Conference & Exhibition 2025
9–11 April 2025
Messukeskus Helsinki, Finland eenaconference.org
For a full list of industry events, see criticalcomms.com.au/events
Editor: Lauren Davis cc@wfmedia.com.au
Publishing Director/MD: Janice Williams
Tim Thompson Ph 0421 623 958 tthompson@wfmedia.com.au
The Southern Hemisphere’s premier critical communications event, Comms Connect, has made a spectacular return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with a two-day conference and exhibition on 16–17 October, plus preconference workshops from the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association (ARCIA) and the Australasian Critical Communications Forum (ACCF) on 15 October.
The event came in the wake of several recent critical communications milestones — including the 10-year plan to expand and upgrade the FirstNet public safety network (PSN) in the USA, the recent RFI for Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) here in Australia, and the release of the Senate report into the Optus Network Outage — all of which were discussed in depth at the show. It was also held not long after Hurricanes Helene and Milton rocked North America, meaning the topic of disaster resilience was front of mind for many.
“We witnessed two days of high energy and activity in our largest ever expo space, with many exhibitors making extra effort to add colour and new design features to their custom stands,” said Comms Connect Events Director Geoff Hird after the event’s conclusion. “The conference rooms were also busy, with more than 300 delegates benefiting from the wisdom of more than 70 industry experts from across the region and the globe.”
Combating outages
Last year’s Comms Connect Melbourne was held just weeks before the infamous Optus outage, which of course prompted the Australian Government to improve telco industry accountability and strengthen public access to Triple Zero — but it turns out that wasn’t the only large-scale comms outage of 2023. At this year’s conference, British APCO’s Chief Operating Officer, Duncan Swan, recounted the UK’s Public Emergency Call Service outage from 25 June 2023 — which included a 67-minute period where a proportion of 999 calls were disconnected, a 79-minute period where all 999 calls failed to connect due to the backup system not being activated, and an 8-hour period where call handlers had to process some information (such as location) manually. Going further back, Swan recalled how in the space of 15 months (from April 2021 to July 2022), Canadian telecom
giant Rogers experienced two major network outages, caused by a software update and a maintenance update respectively, which rendered 911 services inaccessible for many of its 12 million+ customers.
According to Swan, telco companies shouldn’t necessarily be embarrassed about outages — but they should be embarrassed about not having an incident action plan, not having backup systems that are regularly tested, and not adequately communicating with the public. And while none of the above incidents were caused by cyber attacks, CyberCure’s Vanessa Leite noted that broadband and P25 radio networks are increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals, so it is important that comms providers have at least basic security hygiene and are prepared for the worst-case scenario. This can also be applied to natural disaster planning, with Jim Nelson, President and CEO of Prism-IPX, emphasising the importance of achieving resiliency by using parallel and redundant infrastructure, each supporting its own unique protocol — so that if one method is compromised
or damaged, a second or third can be used in its place. Finally, in addition to backups and cybersecurity, Queensland Police Service’s Garry Kerr emphasised the importance of technical support, which is often not thought about when systems are working as they should.
Widening coverage
Minimising outages is all well and good, but what about those areas that don’t have coverage in the first place? Australia is after all a large country, with lots of sparsely populated areas, which can make it difficult to justify comms infrastructure in those areas. Khalid Salim from the NSW Telco Authority (NSWTA) spoke of the Authority’s efforts to expand the footprint of the NSW PSN, from 55.69% land coverage and 99.07% population coverage at the time of writing to an end goal of 85% land coverage and 99.8% population coverage — which still leaves 127,000 km2 of the state uncovered, because it would be simply impossible to maintain geo-redundancy on the
current system with 100% coverage. Critical Communications Finland Coordinator Tero Personen said his country’s own PSN, dubbed Virve, has a similar issue, with little coverage in the north due to the population being mainly concentrated in the south (though a planned network upgrade seeks to remedy this somewhat).
The answer, according to Telstra’s Natalie Kolodziej, lies in satellite connectivity, which offers benefits including ubiquitous coverage, portability, adaptability and resiliency. According to Kolodziej, there are already more than 3000 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), with satellite-to-device capability predicted to arrive in the next 12–18 months. And while she admitted that satellites are expensive to send up, and can be unreliable in indoor areas, the technology is particularly useful after natural disasters (such as the recent hurricanes) and during major events. Indeed, non-terrestrial networks have proven invaluable for policing in Western Australia, said Brett Pearson from the WA Police Force, enabling officers to look up
MORE DATA WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO MORE COMPLEXITY, AS SUCH DATA MUST BE LEGALLY AND SAFELY TRANSMITTED AND STORED.
information on vehicles and suspects as they drive around what is one of the largest police jurisdictions in the world. Lincoln Mackay, from Hourua (the company contracted to deliver New Zealand’s PSN), added that satellite connectivity would be useful in remote areas of New Zealand — as the country has terrestrial land coverage of only 60% at present — while FirstNet’s Brian Hobson said he hopes to integrate satellite-to-device into the network in future.
Emerging technologies and data collection
Satellite connectivity is obviously becoming more and more mainstream, but what about those technologies that are a little further away from common use? At the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) division of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), researchers like Monika Bochert conduct R&D to envision the next generation of technologies for first responders (examples include using LiDAR to create 3D maps of spaces, and training machine-learning models to identify objects such as fire suppression systems within these 3D maps). Such technologies would be invaluable tools during dangerous missions, and could indeed replace first responders in some situations. Indeed, Kylie De Courteney from NSWTA noted that the UK already has fireproof drones; in South Korea, LiDAR is being used to alert the authorities when there is a risk of dangerous overcrowding; and in the US, Boston Dynamics’ robot dog ‘Spot’ has been used to collect information in hazardous situations to pass on the police.
For these and other technologies of the future, the transmission of data such as geolocation and video will be key, with Hobson arguing that data will play a bigger role in the future than voice. And while protocols such as LoRaWAN may be sufficient for tracking and monitoring applications, GSMA’s Terence Wong noted that 5G will be needed to provide the high uplink required for video and
virtual/extended reality; the upgrade of PSNs such as FirstNet to 5G will thus expand their capabilities significantly. Of course, Bochert noted that more data will inevitably lead to more complexity, as such data must be legally and safely transmitted and stored. The good news, according to De Courteney, is that once enough data has been gathered, it could potentially be used for training AI systems to assist first responders with decision-making — so long as it is well-structured and relevant.
According to Hird, “Comms Connect Melbourne 2024 underlined the fact the critical comms sector is on a strong growth curve” — one which shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. One thing’s for sure — Comms Connect will be back in 2025 to continue the discussion, with editions in Christchurch (June) and Melbourne (October). Until then, keep an eye out for updates at www.comms-connect.com.au.
NOKIA WINS DEAL TO DEPLOY 5G IN VIETNAM
Nokia has signed a major new deal with Viettel Group to deploy 5G equipment nationwide in Vietnam.
The ambitious project will cover 22 provinces across the country and support Viettel’s strategy of advancing 5G infrastructure and digital transformation. The project will also see Nokia modernise Viettel’s 4G infrastructure. Deployment will begin this year.
Under the deal, Nokia will supply equipment from its 5G AirScale portfolio for the first time in Vietnam, including the company’s next-generation AirScale baseband solutions, massive MIMO radios and remote radio head products. These are all powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark system-on-chip technology and combine to provide high coverage and capacity. The deal also marks the first 5G network in Vietnam
NEW TECH TO KEEP NSW COMMUNITIES CONNECTED AFTER DISASTERS
Communities impacted by bushfires, floods or severe weather events will be able to better stay connected after natural disasters, with the NSW Government rolling out a $5 million fleet of new technologies to provide backup connectivity for communities and emergency responders.
The rollout includes four Cell on Wheels (CoW) units, which connect to the internet by satellite to provide free public Wi-Fi access. Each asset can provide Wi-Fi coverage up to 500 metres away, while units can be linked to cover an even wider area.
Self-powered and mounted on trailers, the units can be dispatched in a matter of hours to provide temporary Wi-Fi connectivity to communities when regular telecommunications infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. This will provide essential internet access to people so they can contact family, apply for support, access documents or lodge insurance claims, even when local networks are down.
The CoWs are due to be delivered this summer, following the NSW Telco Authority awarding the contract to regional communication specialist Pivotel. They are being delivered as part of the Western Sydney Floods Resilience Plan, an election commitment of the Minns government.
Service NSW has meanwhile introduced eight portable connection units (PCUs) which will provide Wi-Fi internet access in disaster recovery centres for staff and locals. These are easily transportable and can switch between local mobile networks to provide internet connection for up to 100 devices.
Furthermore, a new satellite-equipped Service NSW vehicle has now hit the road. Using Starlink satellite technology, this allows a mobile service centre to be established anywhere at any time, with its own
where the deployed products are being locally manufactured, highlighting Nokia’s commitment to the region.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has placed great importance on 5G as a critical national infrastructure that will enable sustained socioeconomic development through science, technology and innovation. Vietnam’s digital economy is expected to contribute between 20% and 30% of GDP by 2030.
“Nokia is proud to be Viettel Group’s principal partner in this critical digital transformation project that will lay the foundations for Vietnam’s future competitiveness,” said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia.
“Nokia has been a part of Vietnam’s growth over the past three decades, and this initiative of enhancing local technology production continues to strengthen our bond with the country. Our AirScale portfolio offers premium connectivity, low latency and reduced power consumption supporting Vietnam’s digital future.”
independent broadband connection, ready to help customers. Along with allowing Service NSW to set up temporary offices anywhere, locals will be able to connect to the internet via a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
The government is also enhancing the Public Safety Network (PSN) — the communications network used by emergency services, which is critical for keeping these services connected during a crisis. PSN sites are similar to a mobile phone base station, typically featuring a tower and an equipment shelter.
To quickly restore PSN outages caused by natural disasters damaging infrastructure, three fire-resistant portable communications shelters can now be deployed, which will be able to replace destroyed shelters within around a fortnight. The NSW Telco Authority will also position 18 new trailer generators across the state, ready to be transported to PSN sites which have lost power in an emergency.
The rollout includes four Cell on Wheels (CoW) units.
News
ERICSSON AND TELSTRA ACHIEVE 5G UPLINK SPEED OF 447 MBPS
Telstra and Ericsson claim to have achieved a 5G uplink speed of 447 Mbps in a sub-6 GHz 5G Standalone (SA) network, surpassing the previous record by over 100 Mbps and setting a new benchmark for global uplink performance in 5G SA networks. The new record is significant as uplink performance is essential for high-definition live streaming, video conferencing and other upload data-heavy applications, particularly in entertainment, industrial and enterprise environments.
Earlier this year, Ericsson, Telstra and Qualcomm announced they had reached 340 Mbps uplink speeds on Telstra’s 5G SA network using sub-6 GHz frequencies. The latest milestone — achieved in the live commercial network at Telstra’s Southport Innovation Centre — was accomplished using two frequency division duplex (FDD) carriers of 40 MHz from the 1800 MHz band and 2600 MHz band using carrier aggregation technology.
The record marks a major achievement in Telstra’s journey towards a ubiquitous SA network, with the mid band (1800 and 2600 MHz) playing a key role. Telstra aims to move all traffic to 5G SA, where the network is more advanced and efficient and where a superior customer experience can be provided, including differentiated services.
Looking ahead, Ericsson and Telstra will continue to collaborate on redefining the limits of network capabilities. By optimising spectrum assets and enhancing the performance of 5G SA networks, the two companies aim to deliver nextgeneration services to consumers and businesses alike, supporting critical sectors such as health care, manufacturing and logistics. With networks becoming more intelligent, Ericsson will enable features where carriers can be automatically selected to provide the best experience to customers.
“The 447 Mbps record achieved on our 5G Standalone network at Southport represents a significant leap forward in what is possible with 5G, especially in meeting the increasing demands for faster, more reliable data connections for a wide range of services and industries,” said Sri Amirthalingam, Telstra Wireless Engineering Executive.
Emilio Romeo, Head of Ericsson Australia and New Zealand, added, “The latest achievement is a testament to the strong partnership between Ericsson and Telstra and our shared vision of advancing 5G to its full potential. The enhanced uplink capabilities demonstrated by this new world record will enable new applications that require high data throughput and low latency, supporting the demands of industries and consumers alike.”
TPG PARTNERS WITH LYNK GLOBAL TO INTRODUCE SAT2PHONE TECH
TPG Telecom has partnered with leading satellite-direct-to-mobilephone operator Lynk Global in an effort to eliminate mobile coverage dead zones around Australia.
The non-exclusive, service launch agreement paves the way for TPG Telecom to address mobile connectivity gaps in rural and remote Australia by connecting standard mobile phones to Lynk’s growing constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. TPG Telecom and Lynk Global will collaborate to introduce ‘sat2phone’ satellite technology to TPG’s customers, with initial text message trials commencing in 2025.
In other countries, Lynk provides cell broadcast (emergency) alerts and text messaging. In Australia, Lynk is testing SMS and has plans to introduce voice and limited data services in the future.
“We are excited to collaborate with Lynk Global to deliver mobile connectivity in the hardest-to-reach places in Australia,” said TPG Telecom Chief Technology Officer Giovanni Chiarelli.
“Combining innovative technologies like sat2phone with our mobile network would bring much-needed connectivity to those living and working in remote and rural locations, and could play a critical role in delivering life-saving services.”
Lynk Global VP Asia-Pacific James Alderdice added, “Lynk is thrilled to partner with TPG Telecom to extend its network with our sat2phone service. Over two-thirds of Australia’s land mass is currently without mobile coverage, making this vast terrain an ideal target to deliver mobile connectivity directly from Lynk’s LEO satellites as a supplement to TPG’s extensive terrestrial mobile network.”
Acting as an extension to terrestrial mobile services, the technology could eventually enable TPG Telecom to deliver basic voice, text and data services to coverage gaps in very remote locations.
“Australia’s vast geography and sparse population pose unique challenges for deploying commercially viable mobile networks in remote and regional communities,” Chiarelli said.
“By connecting smartphones via satellite to existing mobile networks, sat2phone technology has the potential to transform connectivity right across Australia.”
The news was announced shortly before TPG revealed its plans to enter into a mobile network and spectrum sharing arrangement with Optus, which is set to extend TPG’s network coverage to 98.4% of the Australian population. The arrangement has been cleared by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).
TIM KARAMITOS
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER ANZ, ENTERPRISE WIRELESS SOLUTIONS, ERICSSON
What opportunities do you predict for the growth of your industry in 2025?
We have seen big growth in the use of LEO satellite technology in emergency services and utilities, especially in regional parts of the country, which opens a lot of opportunity for Ericsson. Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions enable users to switch between LEO satellite and cellular connectivity, with that connectivity being constantly monitored, even on the move. The other opportunity for us is around the security of those satellite connections. Ericsson offers secure link bonding, which is built on a true zero-trust foundation.
In addition, the advancement of private 5G networks internationally is giving organisations a powerful connectivity foundation to meet new data growth and operational needs without sacrificing visibility, control or security. This allows for predictable capacity and deterministic performance while improving latency.
Adoption in Australia has been slow for a couple of reasons. First, spectrum, until now, has been limited to remote areas of Australia, which drove initial adoption of private cellular networks in mining and oil & gas companies. Area-wide licences add national spectrum access for industry that includes remote and rural Australia, regional centres and capital cities. Second, many organisations have yet to realise how private wireless networks can be harnessed to resolve connectivity issues with Wi-Fi that have been holding their operations back.
A strength of private 5G networks is their use of licensed spectrum, which prevents unwanted interference and disruption to network operations. With the release of mid-band spectrum as area-wide licences, private 5G networks are starting to see growth in Australia, enabling enterprises to embrace a wide range of 5G use cases.
With Australians having experienced several major telco and technology outages over the past 12 months, what is your company doing to enable more resilient communications solutions?
The key for organisations to ensure reliable, uninterrupted connectivity is having a failover connection. This can be fibre primary connectivity failing over to cellular in the case of terrestrial accidents and human-made or natural disasters, or it can be dual SIM modems, failing over from one telecommunications carrier to another if there is a network provider glitch. Ericsson’s Cradlepoint routers and adapters, available for fixed, mobile and remote locations, are managed through NetCloud Manager, which includes policies that can immediately direct traffic to pass across the wireless link. Once the wired link is restored, traffic flow automatically returns to normal — in most cases, unnoticed by users and customers. With SD-WAN capabilities available, users can set granular traffic policies across multiple wired and wireless links. In the case that an organisation depends on wireless links as their primary connection, automated SIM-based carrier selection will auto-select when the primary wireless connection degrades below suboptimal levels.
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to spread, how big a role do you see this technology playing in the critical comms industry?
Ericsson solutions feature AI functionality that makes 5G networks smarter, simpler and more secure. Being the first enterprise 5G
router vendor to adopt an AI model uniquely focused on cellular networking, Ericsson offers organisations using critical communications centralised flow-level visibility for traffic analysis and forensics, leveraging AI to establish a baseline of normal traffic patterns for the most common 5G use cases (distributed IoT, vehicles, sites) and flagging any anomalies indicating signs of a breach.
Ericsson NetCloud AIOps Dashboard simplifies the ongoing operations of enterprise networks leveraging 5G SASE capabilities. The NetCloud AI model aggregates learning into a single dashboard that identifies areas of performance degradation, isolates the cause of the issue, and pinpoints the affected sites, users and applications. With a unique focus on cellular networking, NetCloud AIOps will turn cellular signal quality indicators, such as proximity to cell tower, signal quality and signal strength, into actionable insights to enhance performance.
Are there any new or growing sectors that will be particularly reliant on critical comms in 2025 and beyond?
In Australia, we have unique geographic and population distribution considerations that can create communication challenges for any industry. For organisations operating in regional parts of the country, fibre or cellular connectivity is often not an option, either because there is no broadband available in those areas, or for an organisation that provides services in the field or from a vehicle, there are no cellular towers located close enough to provide cellular connectivity.
SA Power Networks is one example of a utilities organisation that needed to find a way to improve communication both internally and with customers during power outages. Operating in highly remote locations and often having limited services and infrastructure available, staff at South Australia’s sole electricity provider had to travel long distances to access cellular coverage, creating challenges for utility response and repair teams. SA Power Networks deployed ruggedised Ericsson Cradlepoint routers across more than 170 vehicles to facilitate active Starlink satellite connectivity with cellular failover.
Network performance is managed and monitored via Ericsson’s NetCloud Manager for single-pane-of-glass visibility from anywhere. With network connectivity no longer a constraint, crews can accomplish more digital tasks and make onsite decisions, significantly reducing travel time and administrative effort. This enables faster responses, fewer repeat trips and improved customer restoration times.
Tim Karamitos is a Regional Sales Manager with strong business acumen, focused on driving business innovation for his customers. With a strong technical background, Tim offers organisations years of experience and analytical thinking, working with many customers on their digital transformation journeys, including many Australian universities and emergency services organisations.
MULTIFACETED TECH CAN HELP TAME AUSTRALIA’S BUSHFIRE THREAT
George Dragatsis*
Following a warmer-than-expected winter and high fuel loads in many areas, Australian authorities are bracing for a destructive bushfire season.
Steps are being taken to reduce the risk of outbreaks and ensure fire crews have trained personnel, as well as all the relevant proactive and reactive training and equipment needed to effectively respond. If the Northern Hemisphere summer was any guide, it’s going to be a tough season Down Under.
The bushfire challenge comes at a time when overall temperatures are rising. Indeed, research by scientists at NASA confirmed that 2023 was the hottest year on record.1
Recently the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services released its bushfire forecast for spring 2024. It predicts there will be an increased risk of fires across large parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory as well as far-west Victoria and south-east South Australia.
Overcoming the challenge
Unfortunately, there is no single solution to the bushfire problem. Rather, it will require a combination of human effort and multifaceted
capabilities, including technologies to lower threat levels and losses.
One example of how this combination can make a difference relates to fires started by Australia’s electricity grid. The vast majority of the grid is above ground and, if sparks are created, they can light nearby dry fuel such as trees and grasses.
The deployment of surge arresters on transmission lines and associated equipment can protectively divert excess voltage from electrical surges or lightning to the ground. A device known as a spark prevention unit (SPU) can monitor the surge arrester’s current and thermal load.
If an overload is detected, the SPU interrupts the current flow and disconnects the surge arrester. This prevents any arcing, sparking or ejection of hot particles that can start a bushfire.
Some SPUs are equipped with wireless capabilities that can transmit details of any surges back to a central control room. This allows human operators to check the area and ensure that no fire was sparked.
The role of AI, ML and drones
The chance of destructive bushfires being caused by powerlines can be further reduced with the use of drones. When deployed in repeated patterns to capture images and data, their analytics-based inspection software can quickly identify defects in powerline and grid assets by leveraging customised artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models.
The software can automate what were previously manual defect assessments and instantly analyse thousands of multi-angle images from different sources including photographic, video, LiDAR, thermal and satellite images.
The software can also conduct identification, cataloguing and health evaluation. Associated computer vision algorithms and ML can determine the failure potential of granular assets like dampers, ceramic disks, pins, insulators and wooden poles. When required, humans can become involved with inputs that further train the AI models.
It’s important for electricity operators to have in place an effective data system capable of processing and analysing the massive amounts of visual data collected. This data will also need to be combined with sensor data
Fibre platform
Nokia has announced its Lightspan MF-8, a fibre platform capable of delivering 10/25/50 and future 100G PON services.
Designed for mid-sized deployments, the platform offers the high and sub-millisecond latency of the Lightspan MF family, making it suitable for delivering both residential and mission-critical Industry 4.0 services and applications with no single point of failure. The MF family also enables advanced network automation and is SDN-programmable, with fast telemetry that drives AI/ML applications and modular software to enable agile deployment.
Based on the Quillion chipset, the product addresses the growing need for more capacity and a wide range of residential and non-residential broadband services. Its flexible design allows deployment across a range of locations, from cabinets to central offices and data centres.
Nokia Solutions and Networks Australia Pty Ltd www.nokia.com
and historical data, to get the most accurate view of what’s happening — and what likely will happen — on the ground.
When it comes to detecting and fighting bushfires, fast data processing that gets the right alerts to the right people who can make proactive decisions is vital.
Air quality monitoring
As well as helping to stop bushfires before they get out of control, multifaceted technologies can also be used to better understand the impact of the associated smoke on people and animals. In late 2023, Sydney residents woke to find the city blanketed in thick smoke generated by a large bushfire in northern New South Wales, and similar events are likely to occur this summer.
For this reason, authorities need end-toend systems capable of ingesting air quality data from Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, meteorological sources and other tools. Finely tuned AI/ML and advanced data analytics can then be applied to build rigorous predictive models for air quality.
Additional capabilities
There are a range of other multifaceted technologies that can offer further support when it comes to preventing or managing bushfires. For example, there is new mapping software available designed to monitor factors such as vegetation growth and encroachment on assets like homes and public infrastructure.
Antenna series
Ensuring consistent and reliable connectivity to mobile assets is an essential requirement for any critical communications application. While choosing the right hardware to run safety-focused solutions can seem like the end of the process, treating antenna selection like an afterthought can lead to an underperforming solution.
There is also satellite technology that can pinpoint the unusual heat of bushfires as they occur, and solar-powered sensors on trees that can measure gas and humidity and report this back to a control centre. AI tools can also help battle the fire itself by predicting its movement, so firefighters can determine the best placement of equipment and firebreaks. Bushfires are going to remain an unfortunate feature of Australian summers for the foreseeable future. However, by taking advantage of a range of rapidly evolving multifaceted technologies, authorities and private-sector organisations can be in a much stronger position to respond.
*George Dragatsis has more than 25 years’ experience in the IT industry and is currently ANZ Chief Technology Officer of Hitachi Vantara, based in Sydney. He previously worked in solutions architecture roles for organisations including Nimble Storage, Dimension Data, VMware and Data#3.
The connection between one’s devices and one’s network-quality, fitfor-purpose antennas can make or break a system. Particularly as the number of antennas required to run a single router-based solution continues to grow, the need to find elegant and reliable combination antenna solutions increases.
This is why RFI’s Legion Antenna series is designed with performance in mind; covering from 617–7125 MHz, with high low band performance and Wi-Fi connections suitable for Wi-Fi 6E, the antennas are built to be suitable for high-end router solutions requiring multiple antennas. The core offering ranges from 9-in-1 to 3-in-1 antenna options, with combinations of 4x4, 2x2 cellular MIMO, 4x4, 2x2 MIMO or SISO Wi-Fi. With multiple GPS protocols supported and several enclosure sizes to optimise antenna performance and convenience, the antenna range is designed to keep people connected no matter what the challenge. RFI Technology Solutions www.rfi.com.au
SANDRA WENDELKEN
STRATEGY AND INSIGHTS MANAGER, TAIT COMMUNICATIONS
What opportunities do you predict for the growth of your industry in 2025?
There are several catalysts for the continuing growth of the critical communications industry. The increase in the number of natural disasters highlights the importance of LMR (land mobile radio) technology, a reliable method of communications during emergencies. In addition, organisations continue to upgrade their mission-critical networks with data capabilities and enhanced interoperable features. Finally, new services are being rolled out to boost the security and reliability of mission-critical networks.
With Australians having several major telco and technology outages over the past 12 months, what is your company doing to enable more resilient communications solutions?
LMR networks are generally built to 99.999% (five nines) reliability. During and after many natural disasters, commercial cellular system failures often occur. Having a parallel LMR voice-centric network helps avoid a total operational blackout during emergency scenarios. There is no doubt that broadband technology is important for critical communications solutions. But the criticality of voice in industries where wireless users face life and death situations continues to drive technology decisions. That is why Tait continues to innovate around mission-critical voice. From the TP9800 multiband portable radios to the multimode TB9400 P25/DMR base station with industry-leading RF performance and flexibility to the TP9900 multiband, multiprotocol P25 and digital mobile radio (DMR) radio, Tait is proud to be a reliable mission-critical solutions provider.
What are the biggest challenges or threats facing your industry in 2025?
The lack of interoperability is one big challenge. Emergency responders — public safety, critical communications organisations such as utilities and transportation agencies, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — need to share vital data and voice to respond to day-to-day incidents and large-scale emergencies. Emergency responders often cannot talk to some parts of their own agencies — let alone communicate with colleagues in neighbouring cities, counties or states.
Interoperability is multifaceted. Governance, including a structure and procedures for coordinating with neighbouring, regional and state groups, is critical for interoperability success. Governance must be established before an emergency occurs so leaders are familiar with each other and the procedures in place to ensure seamless communication.
Training is also key to interoperability and goes hand in hand with governance. Once groups have established procedures and coordination in place, they should conduct training exercises to practise the plans and fix anything that is not working well. Training exercises also help leaders become more familiar with each other and build trust. Emergency managers should also ensure interoperable communications technologies and procedures are used often so there
are no surprises during an event. Coordinating planned events and multi-agency events can help everyone feel comfortable with interoperability tools.
The final aspect of interoperability is technology. Tait Communications can provide both P25 and DMR standards-based open, flexible solutions that interoperate with other vendors’ equipment built to those same standards. In addition, Tait’s TP9900 multiband and multiprotocol P25 radio allows a first responder agency needing interoperability between P25 and DMR to achieve it with a mode change. The TP9900 will bridge the interoperability needs of both P25 and DMR users who need to communicate with each other.
Cybersecurity threats, which continue to increase, are another challenge. Public safety agencies, utilities, transportation agencies, and oil and gas firms are all vulnerable to bad actors around the globe. Tait Communications is seeing more requests for support from various ICT functions for IP-connected devices and applications. Our customers and partners are asking how they can better understand their security posture, and it starts with visibility.
The Tait Communications External Threat Assessment scorecard is a solution to help customers address the market need and pain point of cybersecurity threat visibility and to better understand where the vulnerabilities lie. The scorecard is available in two forms: a basic assessment and a comprehensive version with a cybersecurity score, threat indicators, a measure of vulnerabilities and more. The service will roll out in coming months for critical communications organisations.
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to spread, how big a role do you see this technology playing in the critical comms industry?
AI will play an increasingly important part in all industries, but particularly the critical comms sector. Tait Communications is actively engaged in developing solutions that leverage AI for near real-time response systems. The company is taking a platform-based approach that would allow simultaneous ingestion of multiple data sources. Given the evolving use cases for AI, Tait’s overarching governance, for starters, will be built around ISO 42001, the global standard for AI management systems.
Sandra Wendelken is the Strategy and Insights Manager at Tait Communications, with several decades of experience in the LMR and wireless industry. Before joining Tait in 2023, she was a senior research analyst at market research firm IDC from 2020 to 2023 covering B2B and consumer wireless technology. She was also editor of Radio Resource International and Mission Critical Communications magazines from 2006 to 2020, where she closely tracked the US and global mission-critical communications industries.
DRONE-BASED POWERLINE INSPECTION PROTECTS
GRID HEALTH
When a sensor on the electrical grid picks up a strange blip in current or voltage, it typically means a utility worker will have to manually inspect the site to check what’s happening. Now, researchers at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed an automated drone inspection system that can respond rapidly to unusual electric grid behaviour, especially in remote areas that are tough for a worker to reach.
ORNL demonstrated the new approach at a training facility for powerline workers owned by utility partner EPB of Chattanooga in Tennessee. A recording of popping sounds, like those made by an arc of superheated electricity, started the exercise. In moments, a drone lifted into the air, following GPS coordinates to check for problems.
Hovering near powerlines, the drone filmed the equipment with a tiny camera and then called other drones carrying high-resolution acoustic sensors, radio frequency sensors and other specialised equipment. The drones livestreamed their inspection back to the EPB’s command centre and ORNL’s linked Grid Operations and Analytics Laboratory in Knoxville. The drone-mounted sensors can collect enough information for the utility to decide whether to dispatch a bucket truck for urgent maintenance to prevent a power outage.
The demonstration proved that humans don’t have to be directly involved with this level of grid monitoring, said lead researcher Peter Fuhr, as drone-based sensors can pinpoint problems faster. EPB is interested in implementing the approach because accurate, early recognition of electric line malfunctions can prevent outages and save money.
“The biggest opportunity is identifying imminent equipment failure,” said Jim Glass, Assistant Vice President of Smart Grid Operations for EPB. “Just as with your health, if you catch problems early, you can correct them with less expense and difficulty. Proactively addressing problems before customers experience outages provides tremendous benefit.”
The automated drone inspection and its technology are part of a collaborative project called Autonomous Intelligent Measurement Sensors and systems (AIMS), funded by the
DOE’s Office of Electricity. ORNL researchers developed the system for using machine-tomachine communications to automatically sense problems, generate work orders and coordinate multi-stage drone inspection of electrical transmission equipment. The project also supports processing the drone data and images so they are useful in rapid decision-making.
AIMS customises off-the-shelf drones, sensors and software along with new technology, algorithms and automated protocols developed by ORNL. Using commercial technology when possible makes the approach practical and affordable for electricity providers.
“This is completely novel to the utility world,” said Fuhr, who leads the Grid Sensing and Communications group at ORNL. “No one has put this together as a holistic system before. We’re taking these components and operating them in a very different way, tailoring the math, hardware and software to the needs of utilities.”
In cases when commercially available products were not affordable for use across a utility system, the ORNL team designed new technology. For example, ultraviolet cameras for the drones were priced at US$25,000 and weighed 4.5 kg. ORNL researchers invented a combination visual/ultraviolet/invisible light sensor that’s less than 1% of the cost and weighs less than 500 grams.
Here’s how the inspection process works: sensors mounted on powerlines and transformers throughout the grid trigger the process when they collect information. The utility’s centralised management system can automatically compare these readings of current and voltage with waveforms in the Grid Event Signature Library, a vast DOE repository of grid data maintained by ORNL. When irregular activity is identified, a ground control unit can be automatically directed to send a scout drone from an electrical substa-
tion. The system can decide which drone is the closest with the appropriate range and battery charge.
The scout drone uses global positioning coordinates to locate and check the area with a radio frequency sensor, visual and infrared cameras and a simple sound detector. The drone can monitor its own battery, dodge obstacles such as trees and powerlines, record readings and convey them in real time using wireless or cellular networks — or, in the case of the demonstration, via EPB’s fibre-optic network.
Based on information collected by the scout drone, the ground control system can send other drones equipped with more specialised inspection capabilities. Fuhr compares the scout drone to an emergency room triage nurse.
“You show up at the ER intake, where a person evaluates your condition and decides if you need a specialist,” he said. “This works the same. The scout decides what type of measurement is needed based on whether there is electrical arcing, a cracked fuse or a branch on a powerline.”
Sensor data from the drones, as well as their location and operating status, could be relayed to the central control system in real time. Researchers are working on ways for this processing to occur near the drone, such as at a substation, reducing drain on the battery as well as the risk of interrupted communications. Quantum-based communication will generate random keys that encrypt access to the sensor data and protect drone controls, Fuhr added. And while this inspection approach is designed to operate independently of human intervention, a built-in override function allows a person to immediately land the drones or send them back to their chargers.
ORNL researcher Elizabeth Piersall adapted the sensor components and developed control
software for the drone and cameras. She also created algorithms to recognise dangers to power equipment that are visible in the video feed.
“We want to understand how to use these sensors to accurately identify active arcing, even when dealing with potentially poor resolution and motor vibration from affordable sensors and drones,” she said. To train these models, Piersall has been able to use a vast trove of drone video taken during routine powerline inspections through an earlier EPB partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Fuhr envisions a fleet of drones, each equipped with a different sensing capability, on standby at wireless chargers in substations. EPB has about 100 substations covering over 1550 km2 of service area, but Glass said he envisions equipping the 20 largest substations first and then adding more as needed. Outfitting substations with the affordable drones ORNL identified would be much more economical than the cost of sending trained line workers in a bucket truck to check farflung electric lines and equipment.
Glass added that EPB has an equal interest in using drones for both routine and emergency line inspection after storms. “The first step in restoration efforts after a major weather event is to assess where the most severe damage is, and drones could be a huge advantage in that,” he said.
Piersall noted that although utilities have thousands of stationary sensors on the grid, those don’t offer an easy way to see elevated equipment close up while it’s operating. “This provides a perspective on the information that utility specialists may not have otherwise,” she said. “We are not just finding a better way to do something that can be done already: we are providing a new capability.”
Emma Foley/ORNL, US Dept of Energy.
Jason Richards/ORNL, US Dept of Energy.
Industry Talking
That’s it, 2024 is a wrap as far as ARCIA is concerned — and what a year 2024 has been across the country.
Thank you to all the ARCIA Members and Partners for your support and contributions over the year, with probably the largest attendance ever for major events in Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne — and I’m sure a record number of Sundowners as well.
A huge shout-out to all the state members that have helped organise these events. We had renewed effort on Sundowners in Melbourne, Sydney and even Newcastle. Not to be outdone, Perth and Brisbane both had very well-supported Sundowners.
For our major events, Paul Davis has put a stellar effort into bringing new, relevant and interesting content to the conferences. It is very important that attendees have a good reason to attend the conferences and it takes a great deal of work to ensure ARCIA gets quality presentations. For the networking dinners, many of you will recognise that we have updated the game for the evening entertainment, as people enjoy networking and a laugh. We can’t be protocols, MHz and standards all the time.
The year culminated with the annual gala dinner, with 515 guests at the Melbourne Convention Centre, and once again it was very well received. Last year ARCIA revamped the awards and for 2024 the association received a total of 40 nominations across all categories. Thank you to everyone for putting in the effort to make this a success; the association really wanted to celebrate small and large businesses, innovation and manufacturing. Our industry needs to recognise the incredible work so many people do around Australia and these awards are a great way to promote what we do to a wider audience. For 2024 we were delighted to have Duncan Swan, COO of British APCO, as the ARCIA guest head judge. Duncan has years of industry experience and he commented on the high quality of the nominations and just what a difficult job it was to find only one winner.
The Melbourne event would not be the same without Comms Connect and the amazing team from Westwick-Farrow; congratulations on another huge event. Bringing together so many people, including overseas guests, makes the annual week in Melbourne very enjoyable.
The work of the executive is never done, and we have finished off the year with visits to the National Emergency Management Agency in Canberra, representation at ACMA’s RadComms, and also the Australian Control Room Network Association’s annual conference.
The 2025 calendar is already taking shape and will be published by the end of 2024 so we can all start saving dates.
We wish everyone a happy and safe festive season.
Hamish Duff President, Australian Radio Communications Industry Association.
Mini-moulded inductors
Building upon the advantages of its traditional moulded inductors, Abracon has expanded its moulded inductor technology into the realm of sub-3 mm inductors which, despite their compact size, deliver the same performance as their larger counterparts.
The AOTA Series mini-moulded inductors are designed to deliver all the benefits of traditional moulded inductors, including EMI shielding, high power density and low core losses, despite their small size. The benefit is that the inductors effectively mitigate unwanted EMI, handle significant power loads and exhibit low core losses, thereby providing enhanced signal integrity, space efficiency and energy efficiency in electronic circuits.
The inductor series is suitable for IoT, machine-to-machine, secure car access, item tracking, indoor navigation and other connected applications. It provides an alternative to traditional resin-shielded or multi-layer inductors, offering high performance in a smaller size.
The inductors are available in 1.4 x 1.2 to 2.5 x 2 mm package sizes with a maximum height as low as 0.65 mm to support small and low-profile designs. They are available with inductance values from 0.11 to 10 µH with low DCR, low core losses and saturation current up to 14.5 A to support significant power loads and high power density requirements. element14 au.element14.com
Routers
The Ericsson Cradlepoint R980 and S400 routers are designed to provide enterprises with seamless, secure and scalable connectivity for enabling AI, computer vision, data analysis, and other advanced applications across IoT environments and vehicle networks. Integrated with Ericsson’s NetCloud platform, including NetCloud SASE Secure Connect, the routers offer seamless deployment, management and zero-trust security across large-scale IoT and vehicle endpoints.
The R980 is a ruggedised 5G router that delivers high-performance connectivity to vehicles, enabling the deployment of advanced applications such as AI-driven video recognition and real-time data analysis. Designed for first responders, near-shore vessels and school buses, the compact router delivers secure and persistent 5G connectivity, even in demanding conditions. It can also be leveraged in IoT deployments where video and mission-critical applications may require higher performance and lower latency.
With its third-generation 5G architecture, the router is 3GPP Release 16 compatible, providing readiness for standalone (SA) networks and network slicing, including public safety slices and low-latency network slices for IoT. Its eSIM will enable over-the-air carrier switching in future NetCloud releases, adding deployment flexibility and operational efficiency. This forward-looking design makes the router suitable for organisations readying to leverage 5G’s full potential in their vehicle fleets.
Emerging AI applications also rely on gathering data from distributed, widespread IoT devices. As a zero-trust IoT appliance, the S400 enables secure connectivity for diverse IoT use cases, including light industrial, digital signage and building controls. As a semi-ruggedised, compact IoT device, its innovative design offers field-expandable interface options such as additional Ethernet ports, a serial port and a GPIO switch. This adaptability allows IT specialists to tailor the device to specific deployment needs.
The router includes NetCloud SASE Secure Connect as a part of its subscription licence, in order to protect even small, vulnerable IoT devices which cannot support traditional security methods. Secure Connect enables the deployment of a zero-trust network instantly, providing easy-to-deploy, comprehensive security for large-scale deployments such as IoT devices and vehicle networks.
Cradlepoint Australia Pty Ltd www.cradlepoint.com/au
Rugged radio devices
Created for the battlefield, L3Harris’s sturdy XL series of radios was designed by and for those on the front lines, to be ready for whatever the user’s work demands. The series offers high-level connectivity through LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and phone-app based radios. Key features include: P25 compliance for seamless interagency communications; loud and clear audio for extreme conditions; a simple interface and ergonomic design; and multiple encryption options. They are ruggedised to meet intrinsically safe and multiple MIL-SPEC standards.
L3Harris www.L3harris.com
Microwave chip resistors
KYOCERA AVX’s WBR Series of top-contact, bottomisolated microwave chip resistors are ruggedly constructed, rated for up to 250 mW DC power and built in an 0202 chip outline. They deliver ultrastable performance in a range of applications that require thermos compression, epoxy or ultrasonic attachment.
They are especially useful for hybrid circuits and are versatile for other applications, including medical implantable devices, multichip modules (MCM), test and measurement instrumentation, high-reliability microelectronics, and aerospace and defence.
Additional features include: frequency range up to 10 GHz; resistance from 7.5Ω to 12MΩ; tolerance of 1%; unique value marking; and 100% laser trimming for tight tolerances.
Richardson RFPD www.richardsonrfpd.com
Spectrum Analysers, Electronic Countersurveillance Systems, Software-Defined Radio and general Test & Measurement.
Spectrum Analysers
Models for 1Hz – 43GHz
USB and SFP+ models
TeraHertz sampling speeds!
• Full function spectrum analyser on your PC or laptop
• Windows and Linux software supplied
• Full API support for custom applications
Signal Generators
Tracking generators to 12.4GHz
Vector Signal Generators for arbitrary waveform generation to 6GHz
• 5G/LTE testing
• Spectrum monitoring
• Interference testing
• Workshop, lab and hobbyist applications
• Government and defence users 1/21 Nagle Street Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
(02) 6931 8252
PRIVATE LTE AND 5G MARKET A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE WIRELESS INDUSTRY
The latest research report from SNS Telecom & IT indicates that the private LTE and 5G network market — estimated to be worth US$6 billion by the end of 2027 — is one of the few bright spots in the otherwise gloomy wireless telecommunications industry, which is marked by a slowdown in public mobile network infrastructure spending and service providers struggling to monetise their existing 5G investments, particularly in the consumer segment.
Historically a niche segment of the wider wireless telecommunications industry, private cellular networks — also referred to as NPNs (non-public networks) in 3GPP terminology — have rapidly gained popularity in recent years due to privacy, security, reliability and performance advantages over public mobile networks and competing wireless technologies, as well as their potential to replace hardwired connections with non-obstructive wireless links. With the 3GPP-led standardisation of features such as mission-critical PTT, video and data, ultra-reliable low-latency communications, time-sensitive communications, reduced capability for IIoT, non-terrestrial network connectivity, standalone NPNs, public network-integrated NPNs and network slicing, private networks based on LTE and 5G technologies have gained recognition as an all-inclusive connectivity platform for critical communications, Industry 4.0 and enterprise transformation-related applications. Traditionally, these sectors have been dominated by LMR, Wi-Fi, industrial Ethernet, fibre and other disparate networks.
The liberalisation of spectrum is another factor that is accelerating the adoption of private LTE and 5G networks, as national regulators across the globe have released or are in the process of granting access to shared and local-area licensed spectrum. Vast swaths of globally and regionally harmonised licence-exempt spectrum are also available worldwide that can be used for the operation of unlicensed LTE and 5G NR-U equipment for private networks. In addition, dedicated national spectrum in sub-1 GHz and higher frequencies has been allocated for specific critical communications-related applications in many countries.
LTE and 5G-based private cellular networks come in many different shapes and sizes, including isolated end-to-end NPNs in industrial and enterprise settings, local RAN equipment for targeted cellular coverage, dedicated on-premise core network functions, virtual sliced private networks, secure mobile virtual network operator platforms for critical communications, and wide-area networks for application scenarios such as public protection and disaster relief broadband, smart utility grids, railway communications and air-to-
ground connectivity. However, it is important to note that equipment suppliers, system integrators, private network specialists, mobile operators and other ecosystem players have slightly different perceptions as to what exactly constitutes a private cellular network. While there is near universal consensus that private LTE and 5G networks refer to purpose-built cellular communications systems intended for the exclusive use of vertical industries and enterprises, some industry participants extend this definition to also include other market segments — for example, 3GPPbased community and residential broadband networks deployed by non-traditional service providers. Another closely related segment is neutral host infrastructure for shared or multioperator coverage enhancement in indoor environments or underserved outdoor areas.
Database of private LTE/5G engagements
Despite the somewhat differing views on market definition, one thing is clear — private LTE and 5G networks are continuing their upward trajectory with deployments targeting a multitude of use cases across various
iStock.com/style-photography
industries. These range from localised wireless systems for dedicated connectivity in factories, warehouses, mines, power plants, substations, offshore wind farms, oil and gas facilities, construction sites, maritime ports, airports, hospitals, stadiums, office buildings and university campuses to regional and nationwide sub-1 GHz private wireless broadband networks for utilities, Future Railway Mobile Communication System-ready networks for train-to-ground communications and hybrid government–commercial public safety LTE networks. Custom-built cellular networks have also been implemented in locations as remote as Antarctica, and there are even plans for installations on the moon’s surface and outer space.
The expanding influence of the private LTE and 5G network market is evident from the recent use of rapidly deployable private cellular network-in-a-box systems for professional TV broadcasting, enhanced fan engagement and gameplay operations at major sports events, including the Paris 2024 Olympics, 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, North West 200 Motorcycle Race, 2024 World Rowing Cup III, New York Sail Grand Prix, 2024
PGA Championship, 2024 UFL Championship Game and 2024 NFL International Games, as well as the Republican and Democratic national conventions in the run-up to the 2024 United States presidential election.
Other examples of high-impact private LTE/5G engagements include but are not limited to multi-site, multi-national private cellular deployments at the industrial facilities of Airbus, BMW, Chevron, John Deere, LG Electronics, Midea, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Walmart and several other household brand names; Saudi Aramco’s 450 MHz 3GPP network project and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s 11,000 km2 private 5G network for connecting thousands of remote wells and pipelines; defence sector 5G programs for the adoption of tactical cellular systems and permanent private 5G networks at military bases in the United States, Germany, Spain, Norway, Japan and South Korea; service territory-wide private wireless projects of 450connect, Ameren, CPFL Energia, ESB Networks, Evergy, Neoenergia, Polish Energy Group, San Diego Gas & Electric, Tampa Electric, Xcel Energy and other utility companies; and the recent
implementation of a private 5G network at Belgium’s Nobelwind offshore wind farm as part of a broader European effort to secure critical infrastructure in the North Sea.
There has also been a surge in the adoption of private wireless small cells as a cost-effective alternative to distributed antenna systems for delivering neutral host public cellular coverage in carpeted enterprise spaces, public venues, hospitals, hotels, higher education campuses and schools. This trend is particularly prevalent in the United States due to the open accessibility of the licence-exempt General Authorized Access tier of 3.5 GHz CBRS spectrum.
Global spending on private LTE and 5G networks
SNS Telecom & IT estimates that global spending on private LTE and 5G network infrastructure for vertical industries will grow at a CAGR of approximately 20% between 2024 and 2027, eventually accounting for more than US$6 billion by the end of 2027. Close to 60% of these investments — an estimated US$3.5 billion — will be directed towards the buildout of standalone private 5G networks, which will become the predominant wireless communications medium to support the ongoing Industry 4.0 revolution for the digitisation and automation of manufacturing and process industries. This unprecedented level of growth is likely to transform private LTE and 5G networks into an almost parallel equipment ecosystem to public mobile operator infrastructure in terms of market size by the late 2020s. By 2030, private networks could account for as much as a fifth of all mobile network infrastructure spending.
The ‘Private LTE & 5G Network Ecosystem: 2024– 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts’ report presents an in-depth assessment of the private LTE and 5G network ecosystem, including the value chain, market drivers, barriers to uptake, enabling technologies, operational and business models, vertical industries, application scenarios, key trends, future roadmap, standardisation, spectrum availability and allocation, regulatory landscape, case studies, ecosystem player profiles and strategies. The report will be of value to current and future potential investors into the private LTE and 5G market, as well as LTE/5G equipment suppliers, system integrators, private network specialists, mobile operators and other ecosystem players who wish to broaden their knowledge of the ecosystem.
For further information on the report, visit www.snstelecom.com/private-lte.
CASE STUDY
OpenRoaming connects remote First Nations communities
Some of Australia’s most remote and marginalised communities are gaining vital access to online healthcare, education and secure communications, with the arrival of a public Wi-Fi network with the seamless, high-speed connectivity of OpenRoaming.
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) — the global industry body dedicated to improving Wi-Fi standards and services — recently announced the launch of a breakthrough OpenRoaming deployment in five remote Central Australian communities and 11 ‘town camps’ in Alice Springs, providing hundreds of residents with free, secure internet access through Easyweb Digital’s solar-powered Community Wi-Fi Hubs. The deployment will provide the largely Indigenous residents with seamless switching between a growing number of Easyweb networks that support OpenRoaming in towns and community centres across Central Australia.
OpenRoaming allows users with varying technical skills to easily move between different Wi-Fi and cellular networks through a profile installed on their mobile device, which automatically authenticates them while ensuring the highest standards of security and data privacy. By allowing users to automatically connect to the nearest Community Wi-Fi Hub without repeated logins, OpenRoaming will provide uninterrupted connectivity.
A powerful combination of OpenRoaming, Wi-Fi, and geostationary and LEO satellite backhaul will provide redundancy and reliability in a region long characterised by poor communications and social disadvantage. Each of the autonomous assets deployed in the project will be powered by a standalone solar headend and ‘weather-proofed’ against the extreme desert environment.
The project, delivered by Easyweb via WBA members Encapto and Cambium Networks, is focused on delivering ‘place-based’ telecommunications infrastructure to improve digital connectivity across remote communities in Central Australia. Residents of these small communities are highly mobile, regularly travelling 300–500 km round trips to neighbouring communities or Alice Springs to visit family, participate in sports or cultural events, or access essential services.
“In the past, people in these towns could walk for a whole day to check their bank balance or access eGovernment services,” said Darryl Clarke, CEO of Easyweb Digital. “This OpenRoaming solution will deliver an all-in-one solution for these previously forgotten people to gain easy and secure online access in any local community. As we grow our OpenRoaming coverage across the region, people will be able to connect wherever they go — so they’ll never have to plan their day around where they’ll be connecting.”
The OpenRoaming network will offer seamless ‘cellular-like’ access to broadband speeds of up to 300 Mbps, while the system’s advanced redundancy will prioritise low-latency Voice over Wi-Fi calls and essential health, education and emergency services — all of which depend on stable and accessible internet connections. Voice over Wi-Fi is a particularly important feature as communities such as Haasts Bluff/Ikuntji and Nturiya have no cellular service.
The deployment of Community Wi-Fi Hubs with OpenRoaming is based on Cambium Networks’ XV2-2T0 outdoor Wi-Fi APs and XV2-21X indoor APs, Encapto software, and Easyweb managing and deploying the end-to-end solution, which includes solar-powered cabinets and mesh network backhaul for continuity of service, using GEO and LEO satellites. The mesh capability means these networks can
also be cost-effectively scaled through the installation of simple nodes to deliver premium-grade Wi-Fi to community halls, health centres, schools and other public buildings. In addition, the Encapto platform enables mesh networks to be extended to in-the-home Wi-Fi services using a ‘freemium’ model that ensures free access to basic services, and commercialisation opportunities for premium levels of connectivity.
“Providing connectivity to these regions has been notoriously challenging in the past, due to their remoteness, high levels of social disadvantage and low levels of digital literacy,” Clarke said. “For First Nations communities, smartphones are the primary way of accessing online services, but in the past connectivity has been slow, unreliable and expensive. Providing free connectivity to residents in these communities is a critical first step in enabling them to access the services they need.”
“Internet connectivity empowers remote communities and allows them to access basic services and thrive,” concluded WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues. “For these communities, Wi-Fi is as critical as water. It is a must for social and economic development that OpenRoaming projects across the globe are driving up digital inclusion. This project is already showing how having a global connectivity infrastructure that reaches all communities has the potential to transform civilisation.” Wireless Broadband Alliance wballiance.com
14-bit precision oscilloscope
Keysight Technologies introduces the InfiniiVision HD3 Series — a 14-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) oscilloscope designed to deliver four times the signal resolution and half the noise floor of other general-purpose oscilloscopes. The series enables engineers to quickly detect and fix signal issues in a variety of applications, with a custom-built application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that gives engineers high sample rates and memory under typical testing conditions, a high waveform update rate, high vertical resolution, and hardware-based functions such as mask, zone and serial decode.
Device and component designs are becoming more complex, using signals that are increasingly smaller. To ensure product quality and maximise product yields, engineers must troubleshoot designs by tracing multiple signals at once to identify the smallest signal errors that indicate design flaws and hardware defects. Engineers need to measure the smallest and most infrequent signal glitches beyond the noise to correct product issues.
The oscilloscope series meets this challenge by giving digital designers and engineers high vertical resolution through a 14-bit ADC and a 50 µVRMS low noise floor that can detect small signal anomalies. Covering bandwidths between 200 MHz and 1 GHz, the series is designed to accelerate digital debugging and time to market with an update rate of 1.3 million waveforms/s for all measurements.
The user interface enables versatile functionality, including full ADC and vertical resolution on every channel, several bandwidth limiting options, HD mode support and custom measurement thresholds. The deep memory architecture meanwhile captures long time spans at the full sample rate for optimal measurement/analysis results.
Automatic fault hunter software enables general debugging, which analyses glitches, slow edges and runts while engineers complete other tasks. Engineers can also automate measurements with a large selection of serial bus protocols and application software.
Immediate bandwidth, memory and feature upgrades are provided through software licensing, enabling designers to purchase options they need now and upgrade as their designs evolve in the future without having to return the instrument to the factory.
Keysight Technologies Australia Pty Ltd www.keysight.com
Lens antennas enhance connectivity at Sydney stadium
Maser and its partner MatSing, a leading innovator in high-capacity lens antenna technology, have assisted in the enhancement of cellular connectivity at one of Sydney’s iconic stadiums with the integration of MatSing advanced lens antennas into a new distributed antenna system (DAS) — providing high-speed mobile connectivity for spectators attending sporting, music and other festivals at Sydney’s largest entertainment venue.
To meet the communication needs of the stadium, which has a capacity of 83,500 people, a state-of-the-art indoor network has been deployed. This network incorporates 14 MatSing MSMBA-4.4.2-F2-H2-L2 lens antennas strategically placed to cover the field and lower seating areas. These multi-beam, tri-band antennas utilise a patented spherical lens design with four isolated F-band (3.3–4.2 GHz) cross-polarised beams, four isolated mid-band (1695–2690 MHz) cross-polarised beams and two isolated low-band (698–960 MHz) beams.
interference. This results in fewer antenna installations while delivering the advanced performance that carriers demand.
“There is a need for increased connectivity in today’s world of sports and entertainment, and our lens antennas are proven to deliver industryleading, high-capacity connectivity,” said Bo Larsson, CEO of MatSing.
MatSing’s innovative approach, leveraging lightweight metamaterials and a novel design, enables high sectorisation with minimal signal
“As a proudly owned and operated Australian company, Maser is thrilled to be involved in this innovative, state-of-the-art lens antennas solution at one of our country’s largest stadiums, which will not only help audiences share special moments with those closest to them but also provide ongoing connectivity for all major sporting and entertainment events in the foreseeable future,” said Carys Geraghty, COO of Maser Australia.
Maser Technology Group www.maser.com.au
Distributed antenna system (DAS) remote
Nimbus 13 is a low-power digital distributed antenna system (DAS) remote, based on fibre-to-the-edge technology by Maven Wireless. It is engineered to support seamless indoor wireless coverage, integrating 4G SISO and 5G MIMO technologies in a single compact unit. The futureproof system is designed for adaptability in dynamic environments, offering support for both legacy and new cellular standards.
The platform is a versatile digital DAS remote that offers robust, seamless wireless connectivity within both conventional and complex indoor settings. It is suitable for office buildings, hotels, airports, stadiums, and other mid-to-large sized venues that require uninterrupted cellular communications.
The product combines legacy 4G SISO and advanced 5G MIMO technologies, providing broad operator coverage in one efficient unit. It optimises connectivity across 4G and 5G bands for all operators, making it a sustainable choice for venues with high data demands. With its energyefficient operation and scalable design, it supports high-performance connectivity while preparing venues for future wireless standards.
Maven Wireless Sweden AB www.mavenwireless.com
TETRA portable radio
Hytera’s PT590 Portable Professional TETRA Terminal Advanced Version, or PT590Adv, is now available. This latest hardware option is full of state-of-the-art features designed to enhance the user’s communication experience, including up to 100 voice commands in English, voice-activated wake-up, WLAN (smart radio management), comprehensive car kit functionality and an anti-multipath algorithm. These enhancements enable the radio to offer high performance, making it suitable for mission-critical communications.
Hytera Communications Co. Ltd www.hytera.com.au
Industrial LAN firewall
With rising cybersecurity incidents in critical infrastructure and the global trend of adopting and implementing cybersecurity standards and regulations, boosting industrial network security is imperative. Besides fortifying network boundaries to protect against external access threats, strong cybersecurity should also protect critical assets from internal threats.
Moxa’s EDF-G1002-BP Series is a next-generation industrial LAN firewall to protect east–west communication within LANs. Tailored for industrial applications, the LAN firewall allows asset owners to protect legacy devices with minimal effort for maximum network uptime.
The LAN firewall supports an industrial-grade intrusion prevention system (IPS) that allows virtual patching, while deep packet inspection (DPI) filters traffic to check the integrity of industrial protocol data. It has a fast 30 s boot time, software-configurable LAN Bypass and a wide operating temperature to maximise network uptime. Users can easily manage LAN firewall devices with MXview One, while MXsecurity helps administrators quickly identify and respond to cyberthreats.
Madison Technologies madisonconnect.au
Radio Matters
As discussed for some time, the Radio Frequency Users Association of New Zealand (RFUANZ) has identified for some years that the telecommunications industry is rapidly moving towards a crisis in the availability of skilled radio technicians. Feedback from our members and the broader telecommunications community has been that the industry is crying out for a way to train new technicians for our industry.
Over the last five years, RFUANZ has been working on expanding training already put in place by previous RFUANZ boards. Specifically, RFUANZ has been supporting industry training provider E-tec in the development of a Level 4 NZQA qualification suitable for training radio technicians for the radio industry.
New Zealand Certificate in Customer Premises Systems (Level 4) Wireless Systems Strand — course overview:
• How to install, maintain and repair cabling, electronic communication equipment and devices for wireless systems.
• How to install, maintain, diagnose and repair wireless networking, wireless telemetry, and control applications, such as GPS, two-way radio communications, satellite communications and broadcasting communications systems.
• How to install and maintain radio wireless systems, such as broadcasting systems, two-way radio systems, cellular communication systems, RFID systems and telemetry monitoring systems.
• How to interpret electronic design systems.
• How to connect with telecommunication services.
• Knowledge of radio frequency legislation and standards.
• Technical knowledge of computer network engineering and networking infrastructure principles.
• How to identify and mitigate interference in wireless systems.
This course has been in place since January this year and to date the uptake has been rather disappointing. I would obviously like to thank the organisations that have taken up the opportunity and have staff signed up to the course. But to make the course viable we need to double the numbers that have signed up to date. The call to action for the industry is to not just discuss bringing a person onto the course but to get them signed up and training.
As discussed above, it has taken five years to get this training course in place and if we fail to take advantage of the opportunity the course will not be continued. Then our industry will be right back where we started, with no viable training pathway for people coming into our industry.
David Johnston, Committee Member, Radio Frequency Users Association of
New Zealand.
5G-ready satellite communication module
Quectel Wireless Solutions has announced the BG770A-SN ultracompact 5G-ready satellite communication module. Compliant with 3GPP releases 13, 14 and 17, the product supports the LTE NB1 and NB2 bands as well as non-terrestrial networks (NTN) over narrowband IoT. Ultralow power consumption helps minimise energy usage and is achieved through enabling power-saving mode and extended idle mode discontinuous reception.
Suitable for a broad range of applications including transportation, energy, maritime, heavy industry and agricultural applications, the module is dual mode, supporting both NTN and TN and featuring GNSS for positioning functionality. It also supports iSIM.
The module meets the needs of size-constrained, global use cases that demand the comprehensive coverage that satellite connectivity provides. With a compact SMT form factor of 14.9 x 12.9 x 1.9 mm, suitable use cases include wireless point-of-sale (POS) devices, smart metering, tracking and wearable devices.
Designed for use in global markets, the module offers worldwide coverage utilising the GEO satellite constellation. In addition, it features integrated security elements to support comprehensive security. It also operates in an extended temperature range from -40 to +85°C.
The module features an ultra-slim profile in an LGA package and a rich set of interfaces. It supports download of firmware over the air and offers rapid time to market due to its wide library of reference designs, evaluation tools and Quectel’s timely technical support. These help to minimise time and effort spent on device design and development.
Quectel has developed a dedicated antenna for the module, dubbed the YECN028AA, which is an external 5G/NTN antenna that covers 5G NR sub-6 GHz frequency bands and is compatible with 4G/3G/2G/LPWA bands and NTN bands. With its high efficiency and gain, the omnidirectional antenna helps to provide ongoing high-speed data transmission.
Quectel www.quectel.com
Multi-gigabit smart managed PoE+ switches
D-Link A/NZ has introduced the DMS-1250 Series of network switches, designed to meet the growing demand for high-performance connectivity in modern business environments. Featuring 2.5G ports across the range, the switches offer a significant boost in network speed, suitable for SMBs and enterprises looking to support bandwidth-hungry applications such as videoconferencing, high-resolution file transfers and cloud-based services.
The first product in the series is the DMS-1250-10SP, providing eight 2.5G PoE+ ports and two 10G SFP+ ports. The DMS-1250-12TP meanwhile provides eight 2.5G PoE+ ports, two 10GBASE-T and two 10G SFP+ ports. The PoE+ ports provide a high power budget to fulfil business needs, while the innovative PoE functions provide uninterrupted power delivery to all powered devices.
With advanced Layer 2 management capabilities, the series enables seamless, scalable networking that keeps pace with the rapid evolution of digital workloads. The multi-gigabit switches are also a good companion to the latest Wi-Fi access points that support 2.5G connectivity, maximising not only LAN but also Wi-Fi performance across the network.
The series’ PD-Alive feature can be used by IP surveillance networks to monitor the status of connected powered devices and verify their activity.​ The switches also come equipped with built-in internal fans that automatically adjust across five cooling levels to prevent the device from overheating.
The switches offer enhanced 6 kV surge protection on all 2.5G access ports, so that the network remains resilient and devices stay safe from electrical surges.​
There are also a variety of management tools on hand with D-Link’s Nuclias Connect and D-View 8 to meet users’ management requirements.
The versatile switches​ provide high-speed data transmission with 2.5GE to desktops and infrastructure devices, whilst providing crucial 10G uplinks for external connectivity. This high-speed uplink means the entire business can access external services without encountering data bottlenecks. Furthermore, they offer IEEE 802.3af/ at (PoE/PoE+) to power remote devices.
D-Link Australia Pty Ltd www.dlink.com.au
EVOLVING ROLE IN PUBLIC SAFETY AI AND THE CLOUD’S
In our modern, digital world, it seems that AI is everywhere.
In the public safety arena, the potential for AI to help reduce crime and improve response to emergencies is massive. According to an article in Artificial Intelligence + , experts say smart technologies like AI could help reduce crime in cities by up to 40%, while improving emergency services’ response times by 20–35%.
Still, concerns about privacy and other issues with AI are real, so the police commissioners of Australia and New Zealand issued a set of principles in 2023 to guide the ethical and responsible use of AI in public safety.
Those principles include transparency, fairness, explainability, accountability, reliability, human oversight, and privacy and security. One of the most important of those principles is human oversight. In public safety, it’s important that AI be used in an assistive role, helping agencies sift through mountains of data to uncover insights, but leaving the decisions on how to react to those insights to the humans in charge.
Connecting in the cloud
Australian authorities have a long history of working together when disaster strikes. The 2009 and 2020 bushfires in Victoria, 2011 flooding in Southeast Queensland and 2022 flooding in New South Wales are excellent examples. In each case, and many others, emergency services agencies from across the country came to help.
Imagine how much more efficient that collaboration could be with today’s technology, augmented by the insights generated by assistive AI.
Put all the agencies together in a cloud-based collaboration portal and the benefits of collaboration are multiplied. During a major incident or event, multiple agencies — not just public safety agencies, but hospitals, highway departments or public works, as needed — can be added to such a portal, giving them all a common operating picture, and the bonus of real-time alerts generated by the embedded AI.
Encouraging public safety agencies to work together has become a priority in Australia and New Zealand’s public safety sector, so much so that collaboration was a central focus of the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency’s 2023 Police Conference.
Cloud-based collaboration portals can be the technology bridge necessary to put agencies that don’t work together every day on the same page.
By sharing data and insights, agencies can break down silos and provide staff with greater access to relevant information, while assistive AI helps dig out the right data at the right time.
Real-time response
Along with disaster response, assistive AI is also effective in fighting crime and responding to public incidents. While authorities are on the way, the AI can start mining information that will prepare teams arriving at the scene and can be kept on file as evidence. This helps resolve crimes in real time, rather than waiting until much later to sift through historical data.
When it gets to the investigation phase, selecting the right tools improves collaboration among agencies. Being connected to multiple public safety agencies via the cloud means this information can be readily available, improving the workflow.
A crucial aspect of AI tools is that they are always looking at patterns in the data they’re monitoring, whether from CCTV footage or emergency calls. However, this doesn’t remove the need for human intelligence, as the security and emergency response teams must still make decisions based on available information. The software brings to attention patterns that aren’t easily visible to the human eye.
Dynamic integration
Collaboration among public safety agencies requires dynamic integration — the process of consolidating data from multiple datasets into one — to help all involved derive actionable insights and respond accordingly. The use of the cloud and AI technology is essential for optimal results.
AI is being adopted at a rapid pace in many sectors across Australia and New Zealand, and police, fire and ambulance services are not far behind in joining the trend.
As these technologies are adopted and scaled up, it will lead to faster, more efficient responses from public safety partners, and better protection for the public.
*David Dennis is a Public Safety Consultant, APAC at Hexagon’s Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division.
David Dennis*
iStock.com/Julia Gomina
4G and 5G body cameras
Hytera Communications has launched its SC780 Smart 4G Body Camera and SC880 Smart 5G Body Camera for the capture, storage and management of digital evidence for law enforcement and emergency services. With their cutting-edge AI capabilities, real-time communication functions and the power of 4G and 5G connectivity, the body cameras help deliver clarity and situational awareness to on-the-ground teams.
The body cameras offer High-Quality Evidence Collection, for optimal performance in diverse environments. With image stabilisation technology, they provide steady video even during highmotion activities, while the night vision capabilities provide clear footage in low-light scenarios. Equipped with wide-angle lenses, the body cameras capture a broad field of view, giving law enforcement wide coverage during operations.
In addition to their recording capabilities, the body cameras provide real-time communication functionalities. Not merely recording devices, they double as push-to-talk over cellular (PoC) radios, providing constant connectivity in mission-critical situations.
The cameras come with AI-powered noise cancellation for clear audio, long battery life for extended field operations and an IP68 rating, making them fully dustproof and waterproof for use in harsh environments. The facial and licence plate recognition features further enhance their ability to relay data to the command centre for fast suspect identification.
The body cameras are built with advanced network capabilities in mind, capitalising on the deployment of 4G and 5G networks. Leveraging these technologies, particularly the SC880 model’s 5G technology, enables fast transmission speeds, enhancing the efficiency of both data recording and live communication. The SC880 captures 4K ultrahigh-definition footage with an extended pre/post-recording feature that lasts up to 300 s and allows for 15 h of uninterrupted recording without the need for recharging. Additionally, the cameras capture crystal-clear audio within a 10 m range.
Hytera’s Digital Evidence Management (DEM) system is designed to offer a high level of protection and efficiency for digital evidence. The system provides a secure, closed chain of evidence, from the moment of capture through to courtroom presentation. It provides enhanced operational efficiency through redaction features and remote device management, making it a critical tool for law enforcement and public safety users who require high standards of data integrity and security throughout the entire life cycle of digital evidence.
Hytera Communications Co. Ltd www.hytera.com.au
Ultralow-power asset tracking service
u-blox has announced CloudTrack — an all-in-one, end-to-end asset tracking service that provides ultralow-power positioning, global connectivity and cloud integration. The service is designed to simplify IoT asset tracking with contractless per-location-request plans accessible worldwide, offering businesses a pay-as-you-go pricing model without hidden costs or worries about data usage.
The service leverages u-blox expertise and technology to intelligently calculate an asset’s position using a combination of available data from GNSS, cellular and Wi-Fi sources. Businesses can locate assets in poor or non-existing GNSS signal conditions or even indoors, where it would otherwise be challenging to get a location fix and would quickly drain the battery. The service is designed to offer 6x energy savings, compared to a standalone GNSS fix with a cold start, while transmitting data securely over the Internet.
Users can eliminate the complexity and inconvenience of dealing with multiple location data and connectivity providers, as this single-provider solution with a straightforward per-location-request pricing model streamlines the asset tracking process for businesses. Moreover, with a single Thingstream SIM card that operates everywhere, IoT devices can span the globe using one stock-keeping unit (SKU), eliminating the need for regional SKUs. The Thingstream cloud platform makes it easy for businesses to transform and integrate their data with tracking dashboards, major cloud platforms and enterprise backend systems.
The service works optimally with u-blox cellular ‘combo’ modules, including the LENA-R8 LTE Cat 1bis module with integrated M10 GNSS receiver, to deliver an all-in-one, ultralow-power, global IoT asset tracking solution. u-blox Singapore Pte Ltd www.u-blox.com
City Mall upgrades security comms with Inrico PoC radios
City Mall, situated in the heart of Amman, Jordan, is a top shopping destination covering 160,000 m2. With enormous daily footfall and complex geographical layouts, ensuring the safety of shoppers, commercial tenants and residents is of utmost priority. Consequently, a reliable radio communication system with security and efficiency is required.
The security department at City Mall previously relied on the DMR radio communication systems, which did not have the capability for increased usage coverage, resulting in security personnel’s limited patrol and communication range. Sourcing and deploying repeaters and other infrastructure would entail costly investments. Additionally, using DMR radios requires multiple security licences, and the application and renewal process is cumbersome and time-consuming.
Inrico’s local dealer, Lucid Solutions, recommended and deployed the Inrico T526 PoC radio for City Mall’s security team. With its push-to-talk over cellular capability, powerful, long-lasting battery, GPS positioning and noise-cancelling microphone, this broadband communication solution has significantly improved the communication and operational efficiency of the security team.
The Inrico PoC radio system utilises the mall’s Wi-Fi and cellular networks, enabling security personnel to communicate with individuals within groups over distances instantly, especially in areas where the narrowband network is not available. With just a simple press of the dedicated tactile push-to-talk (PTT) button, users can enjoy instant one-to-one and one-to-group communications within public network coverage. Plus, managers can issue commands to onsite security personnel effortlessly through the PTT App installed on their smartphones, adding an extra layer of communication efficiency and flexibility.
The Inrico PoC radio system does not use the conventional radio spectrum; coverage is provided by broadband networks, so there are no licence application forms. Using PoC radios only requires initial
acquisition and fixed cellular data subscription costs. There is no need to invest in costly DMR radio system infrastructure, including repeaters, cabling, radio programming, etc. This saves on both the initial setup costs and the complex maintenance costs later on.
The Inrico T526 features a high-capacity 5000 mAh battery, which supports up to 12 hours of talk time (5-5-90 duty cycle) and 33 hours of standby time. This means security personnel can patrol for extended shifts without needing frequent recharges, ensuring constant vigilance for security personnel during both day and night patrols.
In critical situations, every second counts in saving lives. The Inrico T526 radios are engineered with features for streamlined and high-efficiency responses in case of emergencies. The built-in GPS positioning facilitates the location of guard patrols, while the one-touch SOS button enables security personnel to issue an alarm for assistance in case of danger and emergencies, meaning rescue is only a click away.
The hustle and bustle of City Mall can easily get in the way of voice communications, but Inrico’s T526 PoC radio is designed to provide peace of mind in noisy environments. Its powerful speaker, coupled with an anti-interference microphone to suppress ambient noise, gives clear voice output, minimising missed messages. The easy-to-operate dual-knob design also supports the security guards in quickly adjusting the volume and switching groups, improving user experience and enhancing communication efficiency.
“Thanks to Inrico T526 PoC radios, we have greatly extended our mobility range both inside and outside the mall, and now we can stay on duty for longer periods of time,” said the Head of the City Mall security team. “The safety and efficiency gains from Inrico’s PoC system are remarkable and show the value of choosing the right device to get the job done.”
Inrico Technologies Co Ltd www.inricosolutions.com
Image: Supplied
Spectrum
Bridging the present and future of telecommunications with field service management
Today’s society relies heavily on our ability to communicate with one another. With an ever-increasing demand for instantaneous communication — whether by phone, email, text or otherwise — in both our professional and personal lives, modern telecoms have become as vitally important as any other utility, like electricity.
While we don’t take the act of communicating with each other for granted, the infrastructure that is required to deliver this often becomes an afterthought in many people’s minds.
As telecommunications technology continues to evolve, Australia finds itself at the precipice of our transformation journey. New technologies like wireless broadband networks and satellites are being considered as replacements for copper wire. The federal government is currently reviewing proposals from telecommunications providers, readying the nation for the next step up.
However, protecting communications is more than a matter of making this transition. The question of how to maintain these complex systems remains ever-present. This is especially true in Australia, given the nation’s disparate spread and the skills gap in field service technicians. How can we best maintain systems in our most challenging, remote locations?
A new chapter in Australia’s connectivity
Australia’s transition to a more technologically sophisticated network is critical to competing on a global scale. This hinges on not only
our ability to connect metropolitan hubs, but across the entirety of our vast land.
There is still much work to be done in order to bring Australia’s regions up to the speeds of its urban centres. If these initiatives aren’t made altogether national, there is a risk of leaving a vast portion of our country behind in terms of development.
In previous years, changes such as the transition from 3G to 4G have been complicated, leaving some without recourse temporarily. As we turn this page, it’s important to focus on drawing out the most value from our investments, in turn leaving future generations well-positioned.
Complex network considerations
The failure of a single constituent element can cause significant breakdowns across vast networks.
While fibre-optic and copper cables are built to function for extended periods without much intervention, the reality is that modern, sophisticated systems aren’t any less prone to unforeseen outages, weather disruptions or required maintenance. Moreover, key aspects of our future telecommunications infrastructure will be located in remote, difficult-to-access regions, which increases maintenance costs and logistical challenges.
Despite these challenges, modern technologies are set to deliver many benefits.
Intelligent asset management solutions mean that downtime can be planned and adequately resourced via predictive maintenance. When combined with end-to-end visibility over the entire network’s operations, additional assets can manage the workload to ensure the end user doesn’t suffer any repercussions.
Advanced platforms also allow frontline field service workers to access more information than ever before. Gone are the days of clipboards and Excel spreadsheets — instead, an interconnected system utilising IoT and data infrastructures ensures that those ‘up the pole’ have the same information as those back in the office.
Field service workers now have the most detailed information at their fingertips. When managing the most complex aspects of a system, new technologies allow them access to all resources they need to solve issues — whether they are at a cell phone tower in Broken Hill, or an nbn access point in South Yarra.
Putting our outcomes first
In order to achieve the best possible results, we need to access solutions that allow us to track our performance and see the gaps where we can further extend our efforts. Field service management software solutions offer a range of advantages, from optimising labour and scheduling, to minimising manual interventions.
Leveraging IoT-driven real-time monitoring and data analytics to detect anomalies in variables like sound, temperature and vibration are imperative to success. Access to AI-powered insights must be at the heart of any operation, helping to track and address any issues with assets before they get out of hand.
Now is the time to ensure these innovations are applied across all sectors that require field service management. This will enable businesses to make informed, data-driven decisions that benefit not just individual organisations but Australians as a whole, ensuring progress is shared across industries, states and communities alike.
Simone Doolan is the Industry Director for Utilities and Telecommunications at IFS Australia and New Zealand. With over 25 years of experience in assetintensive industries, Simone specialises in helping organisations transform and optimise their operations through digitalisation, focusing on delivering worldclass solutions that empower businesses to perform at their peak.
