6 Command and control: modern control room design meets cyber-physical safety 16 Canberra celebrates 60-year NASA collaboration with new dish 20 Look who’s coming to Comms Connect NZ
29 Intelligent bonding and SASE: secure, high-performance connectivity for the public sector
32 New technique to eliminate signals disrupting radio telescopes
37 Ultra-wideband antenna designed for stealth aircraft
Cable Ways’ power and communication cabinets are engineered to withstand harsh environments while ensuring good performance for critical communication systems. Built to endure extreme wind loads of over 280 km/h and designed for seismic-prone areas, these cabinets offer a secure and stable solution for mission-critical infrastructure. Whether deployed in remote locations or high-risk zones, they provide uninterrupted service, even under tough conditions.
Featuring an advanced, self-regulating thermal management system, Cable Ways cabinets monitor and control internal temperatures, preventing overheating and providing optimal performance. Capable of supporting both legacy and modern power storage solutions, the cabinets accommodate LFP capacities up to 1900 Ah, enabling scalability and futureproofing for evolving needs.
Implementational and operational efficiencies are the key design principles. Available pre-wired for rapid installation, the cabinets minimise set-up time and reduce site visits, while their intuitive layout facilitates easy maintenance and quick deployment by ground crews. Customisable to accommodate mixed mounting rail sizes (19, 21 and 23 ″), with a wide range of door and bay configurations, these cabinets offer tailored access options to suit individual network protocols, meeting their personalised operational requirements. Thousands of these and similar cabinets have been deployed in Australasia, demonstrating an increasing service life now exceeding 25 years. Built to withstand extreme weather, seismic events and demanding operational conditions, Cable Ways’ cabinets are a good choice for power distribution and critical communications infrastructure.
Cable Ways Ltd www.cable-ways.co.nz
Stable
COMMAND AND CONTROL MODERN CONTROL ROOM DESIGN MEETS CYBER-PHYSICAL SAFETY
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In an era where energy, water, transport and public safety systems face continuous stress — from natural disasters to cyber intrusions — control rooms have emerged as strategic assets. No longer backof-house operational centres, they are now the digital and physical epicentres of resilience.
cross Australia, critical infrastructure providers are rethinking how control rooms are designed, staffed, secured and integrated. With cyber-physical threats increasing, where digital intrusions can trigger real-world consequences like overflowing reservoirs, blackouts or disrupted rail networks, control rooms must evolve. This evolution isn’t just technological; it’s human, procedural and urgent. Our modernday society is depending on us for essential services availability.
A new era of threats
In my recent white paper ‘Securing Society: Insights on Cyber-Physical Safety in Australia’s Critical Infrastructure’, I examined the rising
Sam Mackenzie*
tide of converging threats facing Australia’s asset operators today. The results show that we are truly in a new era, where cyber attackers are no longer just targeting data; they’re probing control systems, exploiting remote access, and aiming to disrupt physical operations.
At the same time, the sector must navigate increasingly severe weather events, supply chain vulnerabilities, and a growing web of interconnected systems spanning multiple agencies and jurisdictions.
Control rooms now sit at the intersection of it all; triaging and responding to an escalating volume of digital alerts, field data and operational events, all while upholding safety, uptime and compliance. This makes them essential points of defence — and prime targets.
From communications centre to operational command
Historically, control rooms were designed with narrow, siloed scopes: a power utility focused on grid visibility; a transport agency on movement flows; emergency services on radio dispatch. Today, those lines are blurring. No service operates in isolation anymore. Interoperability, once aspirational, is now non-negotiable.
Modern control rooms must integrate:
• digital dispatch;
• closed-circuit television (CCTV);
• Internet Protocol (IP) communications;
• supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA);
• Internet of Things (IoT) telemetry; and
• land mobile radio (LMR).
Additionally, the emergence of AI-driven decision support and some cases drone telemetry is pushing the boundaries of our current control room set-ups. Similarly, cross-agency information sharing challenges operations to be frictionless, especially in time-critical scenarios.
Yet many current environments aren’t designed for this. Patchwork upgrades and mismatched systems create blind spots, integration barriers and security vulnerabilities; these are risks we can no longer afford.
We need control rooms where communications, telemetry and situational awareness converge into a single, cohesive operational picture. This isn’t just a technical uplift; it’s a strategic shift in mindset and mission.
Designing for security, not just continuity
While continuity has long been a design priority, cybersecurity must now be treated as inseparable from operational resilience.
As the lines blur between IT and OT, attackers are exploiting these convergence points. That’s why control rooms must be secured from the ground up; starting with physical and digital access control, and extending to architectural zoning, network segmentation and built-in redundancy.
Mission-critical systems must be thoughtfully protected from internet-facing tools. Operators should not be flooded with thousands of noisy alarms but supported by systems that filter, contextualise and escalate anomalies with clarity.
There’s also the human dimension. Secure handovers, role-based access and well-drilled escalation protocols are essential. Control rooms can no longer rely solely on corporate IT to manage cyber events. Operators must be empowered and equipped to respond when digital threats reach the frontline.
This is a core message of the Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure (CS4CI) community, which I co-founded. Cyberphysical resilience must become part of the everyday rhythm across our modern-day service ecosystems — not a special project, but a default condition.
People first: operator-centric environments
Control rooms are, above all, human environments. These are high-pressure, always-on spaces where operational decisions carry real-world consequences.
Design must prioritise the people inside. That means ergonomic workstations, intuitive user interfaces, managed acoustics and visual clarity. Systems should enable operators to shift from high-level overviews to detailed insights without cognitive friction.
iStock.com/Ignatiev
ACMA PROVIDES STRONGER CONSUMER PROTECTIONS DURING TELCO OUTAGES
Telco customers will soon be kept better informed during network outages, under new rules announced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Set to commence later this year, the rules will see telco customers updated during localised outages, including when an outage occurs, the locations affected, the likely cause of the outage, the types of services impacted and an estimated timeframe for the issue to be resolved.
ACMA member Samantha Yorke said the changes are a vital step in addressing the impact that outages can have on individuals and communities that rely on these services.
“When your phone or internet goes down, it’s not just frustrating — it can cause significant issues, including disrupting businesses and impacting public safety,” Yorke said.
“These new rules will make sure that telco customers are kept up to date about what is going on during local outages and informed about when their service might be restored.
“Telcos must also take extra efforts to keep consumers who are more at risk of harm connected during an outage.”
Other new obligations will require telcos to provide information about outages to police, fire and ambulance services, to report to the ACMA, and to improve general complaintshandling processes. The rules will also provide greater certainty that calls to the Triple Zero emergency service will be carried where a telco network suffers an outage but an alternative telco network is available to carry the call.
“Improving industry accountability for the carriage of calls to Triple Zero will give Australians greater confidence that their safety is prioritised when networks are down,” Yorke said.
The ACMA has already put in place rules that commenced in December 2024 that require telcos to prioritise customer communications in major outages impacting 100,000 or more services. The new rules cover outages that affect 1000 or more services in regional Australia (for more than six hours) and 250 or more services in remote Australia (for more than three hours).
The ACMA has a range of powers to enforce the new rules, including financial penalties or commencing civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia. The rules have been made following the review of the Optus nationwide network outage of 8 November 2023.
“These rules are a significant uplift in protections for Australian telco consumers,” Yorke said. “We will be closely monitoring compliance with the new obligations and will review the customer communications obligations 12 months from their introduction.”
PERTH’S NEW RAIL NETWORK CONTROL CENTRE READY FOR OPERATIONS
Management of Perth’s passenger rail network is set to reach new heights, with the WA Public Transport Authority’s state-of-the-art network control centre now ready for operations.
The network control centre is housed in the new purpose-built Public Transport Operations Control Centre (PTOCC) building in East Perth, which has been delivered to support the expanding METRONET rail network. The building will also be home to a new central monitoring room, which connects to the thousands of CCTV cameras across the network.
The new control centre, which covers roughly 1000 m2, will be responsible for round-the-clock monitoring of Perth’s rail network, which includes around 500 km of rail, 87 stations and almost 10,000 weekly services. The main feature of the control centre is a 100 m2 mega screen, which maps the entire rail network and provides realtime information on every train in service. This mapping is made possible by thousands of data points constantly feeding information into a bank of servers within the PTOCC building.
“This is an incredible new facility that will serve as the nerve centre of our train network for many decades to come,” said WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.
“The staff operating this centre can see exactly where every train is at any given moment, helping them to quickly respond when issues arise.”
The opening of the centre comes as the WA Government continues to deliver its 10-year High Capacity Signalling Project, which will modernise trains’ control systems. High-capacity signalling, which is utilised on major train networks around the world, will add around 40% capacity to Perth’s rail network and allow for more frequent services on the network.
Works to deliver the high-capacity signalling systems will include:
• upgrading signalling along the total length of the Transperth train network (500 km);
• installing more than 7000 transponders enabling precise train location;
• introducing new in-cab signalling equipment for 125 trains including the Prospector and Australind regional trains; and
• improving passenger information on more than 600 displays on 89 stations across the network.
“This new control centre, along with high-capacity signalling, represent the future of our rail operations in Western Australia, and will deliver more frequent, reliable and efficient services,” Saffioti said. Both the PTOCC building and the High Capacity Signalling Project are being funded by the state and federal governments.
Base station enabling TETRA for ETCS applications
DAMM’s base station shows that TETRA technology can easily and effectively be used for European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 systems. ETCS was originally intended to run on a GSM-R platform, but this is now outdated and expensive.
TETRA is a suitable mission-critical solution for data, and testing under UNISIG conditions demonstrates that ETCS over packet data can be achieved and can outperform circuit switch services.
The test results also show that TETRA supports full interoperability between onboard and trackside units, a core requirement of ETCS. According to the results, data transmission in both directions was above ETCS Level 2 requirements, while voice and data signals both achieved a better result than GSM-R at a lower cost.
The DAMM MultiTech Outdoor Base Station BS422 is central to enabling TETRA for ETCS applications. Its multi-tech platform supports three technologies (TETRA, DMR and analog) in one box, and the software-defined platform makes it easy to define specific functions. It can also incorporate broadband features as necessary.
Damm Australia
www.damm-aus.com.au
VHF expandable transmitter combiner cavity filter
In today’s fast-paced environment, reliable communications are essential for ensuring safety and operational efficiency across diverse sectors. The ZCG Scalar ZVCF-136174 VHF expandable transmitter combiner cavity filter delivers high performance in the 136–174 MHz spectrum and has been engineered for highpower applications up to 250 W. The precision-tuned filter is designed to enable clear communications when it matters most.
The product has the versatility to meet the unique demands of critical communications. With multichannel combining, it can seamlessly integrate multiple RF signals, optimising spectrum utilisation. Its high isolation (noise suppression) minimises interference between channels, while close channel separation enables robust performance even in high-density environments. The unit’s low insertion loss maximises signal strength and system efficiency. It is suitable for fixed (stationary) base-station applications in the emergency services, mining, trucking and transport sectors.
Constructed with a clear chromate-finished aluminium cavity body, conductive internal components and temperature-resistant INVAR tuning internals, the product is built to perform under demanding conditions. PTFE insulators and tri-metal plated N-type female connectors further enhance durability and RF performance. Its broadband design and ease of expansion make it suitable for high-density channel environments and future network upgrades with minimal disruption.
AI virtual expert for enterprise WWAN networks
Ericsson has launched its generative AI-based NetCloud Assistant (ANA) — a virtual expert designed to simplify enterprise 5G network administration. Unlike traditional chatbots, which leverage search to provide links to existing resources, the system has the ability to read, understand, and generate new text and graphical content.
The generative AI virtual expert has been designed for enterprise Wireless WAN (WWAN) networks, utilising large language models, with all its AI components hosted entirely within Ericsson’s environment. This design enables user and data privacy by avoiding API calls to third-party consumer generative AI applications.
The system correlates information from Ericsson’s library of technical documentation into concise summaries personalised to the customer’s network, transforming hours or even days of work into seconds. It accelerates day one deployments with step-by-step guidance for WAN edge device configuration based on best practices. It also automates common diagnostic tasks and provides step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot and resolve connectivity issues, speeding up mean time to repair.
Future releases will translate business requirements into recommended SD-WAN and WAN bonding policies to enhance WAN performance and application availability. Future releases will also see the creation of detailed graphs that visualise more complex information not typically available in standard NetCloud dashboards or pre-canned reports.
ZCG
www.zcg.com.au
Ericsson Australia Pty Ltd www.ericsson.com/au
Industry Talking
A big thank you to all the West Australian members, partners and guests for attending the two days of events in Perth at the start of April, which included training workshops, a conference and our state networking dinner. With all the work that goes into these events, it is very rewarding for the ARCIA team to receive such great support and feedback.
The conference program had some new faces, as we try to deliver relevant and fresh information each year, and it was another huge success for the WA chapter of ARCIA as they played host to our first major outing for the year. I’d like to thank the local committee members who assisted with the planning and execution over the two days, as well as with the presentation of the WA State Professional of the Year Award, which went to Dane Coetzee on the night. Well done, Dane: we look forward to seeing you in Melbourne in October, where the national winner will be selected from our state winners.
Please remember, for each state the association welcomes nominations for the Professional of the Year Awards. With so many delivering outstanding work, who go largely unsung, this is an opportunity to shine a light on those who continue to deliver and deserve recognition from their peers. We’ve made the process quick and straightforward, so please do head to the ARCIA website to submit your nomination, including all the relevant information and the reasons why the judges should consider your choice for the respective award.
Not to be outdone by the solid turnout in Perth, we followed this up with another Sundowner in Brisbane, just prior to the Easter long weekend. Whilst I was unfortunately unable to attend this time, by all accounts it was another fantastic get-together of local radio and critical comms stakeholders, with almost 50 making the trip to The Greek Club for a couple of hours. These more informal events are proving to be very popular around the country and ARCIA intends to keep expanding on this program, in line with demand.
Next up is the Sydney conference plus training workshops, running on 28–29 May, so make sure you book in at https:// arcia.org.au/events/critical-communications-conference-sydneymay-2025/.
As we head to the middle of the year, the focus turns to Christchurch, as Comms Connect once again returns to Te Pae, giving the New Zealand market an opportunity to come together to see the latest technology, share ideas and collaborate. If you haven’t yet registered, head to the Comms Connect website to book your seat, at what looks like it will be the largest exhibition in the show’s history and one our partner association RFUANZ will no doubt be very pleased to see come together so well.
A few of our members and I had the opportunity to attend IWCE in Las Vegas in March, and for me this was the first time back to Las Vegas since COVID. It was great to catch up with old friends and review the latest technology. As the US market is a great indicator of future trends, it’s fair to say it has many layers of complexity — so learning how manufacturers, agencies and suppliers deal with policy, technology and
Hamish Duff President (Hon), ARCIA
people is very instructive. The US and Australia share many of the same challenges, including training and education shortfalls and where we will find the next generation of wireless workers will come from. This being the case, it was great to meet up and renew our relationship with the Government Wireless Technology & Communications Association (GWTCA), as we look to collaborate on shared issues.
Our longstanding spectrum and technical subcommittee leader and former EO, Ian Miller, has made the recent decision to step back further from active association duties, handing over the reins to Simon Lardner. With a wealth of knowledge and support from David Britt, Noel Higgins and Dale Stacey, this subcommittee, led by Simon, is perfectly set up to consider policy that affects our members and the wider market, as well as to manage the very important relationship the association has with the ACMA. And for all those members dealing with the ACMA regularly, please be aware that there is an online portal for the ACMA to manage your account: https://www.acma.gov.au/acma-assist.
Lastly, I would like to reiterate how grateful all at the association are, and say a massive thank you to all of our commercial partners, many of whom have stepped up their support over the last three years, helping to make what we do possible. And with this in mind, with the new partnership year approaching, please reach out to our CEO, Paul Davis, if you would like to take advantage of what ARCIA has to offer.
– Australia’s Radio & Critical Communications Association
iStock.com/matdesign24
60-YEAR NASA COLLABORATION WITH NEW DISH CANBERRA CELEBRATES
NASA’s Deep Space Network facility in Canberra celebrated its 60th anniversary on 19 March 2025 while also breaking ground on a new radio antenna. These two achievements are considered major milestones for the network, which communicates with spacecraft all over the solar system using giant dish antennas located at three complexes around the globe.
Canberra’s fifth radio antenna, Deep Space Station 33, will be a 34 m-wide multifrequency beamwaveguide antenna. Buried mostly below ground, a massive concrete pedestal will house cutting-edge electronics and receivers in a climate-controlled room and provide a sturdy base for the reflector dish, which will rotate during operations on a steel platform called an alidade.
“As we look back on 60 years of incredible accomplishments at Canberra, the groundbreaking of a new antenna is a symbol for the next 60 years of scientific discovery,” said Kevin Coggins, Deputy Associate Administrator of NASA’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, USA. “Building cutting-edge antennas is also a symbol of how the Deep Space Network embraces new technologies to enable the exploration of a growing fleet of space missions.”
When it goes online in 2029, the new Canberra dish will be the last of six parabolic dishes constructed under NASA’s Deep Space Network Aperture Enhancement Program, which is helping to support current and future spacecraft and the increased volume of data they provide. The network’s Madrid facility christened a new dish in 2022, and its facility in Goldstone, California, is putting the finishing touches on a new antenna.
Canberra’s role
The Deep Space Network was officially founded on 24 December 1963, when NASA’s early ground stations, including Goldstone, were connected to the new network control centre at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. Called the Space Flight Operations Facility, that building remains the centre through which data from the three global complexes flows.
The Madrid facility joined in 1964 and Canberra went online in 1965, going on to help support hundreds of missions, including the Apollo Moon landings.
“Canberra has played a crucial part in tracking, communicating and collecting data from some of the most momentous missions in space history,” said Kevin Ferguson, Director of the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. “As the network continues to advance and grow, Canberra will continue to play a key role in supporting humanity’s exploration of the cosmos.”
By being spaced equidistant from one another around the globe, the complexes can provide continual coverage of spacecraft, no matter where they are in the solar system as Earth rotates. There is an exception, however: due to Canberra’s location in the Southern Hemisphere, it is the only one that can send commands to, and receive data from, Voyager 2 as it heads south almost 21 billion kilometres through interstellar space. More than 24 billion kilometres away, Voyager 1 sends its data down to the Madrid and Goldstone complexes, but it, too, can only receive commands via Canberra.
New technologies
In addition to constructing more antennas like Canberra’s Deep Space Station 33, NASA is
The Canberra complex joined the Deep Space Network on 19 March 1965, with one 26 m-wide radio antenna (which was decommissioned in 2000).
looking to the future by also experimenting with laser, or optical, communications to enable significantly more data to flow to and from Earth. The Deep Space Network currently relies on radio frequencies to communicate, but laser operates at a higher frequency, allowing more data to be transmitted.
As part of that effort, NASA is flying the laser-based Deep Space Optical Communications experiment with the agency’s Psyche mission. Since its October 2023 launch, it has demonstrated high data rates over record-breaking distances and downlinked
ultrahigh-definition streaming video from deep space.
“These new technologies have the potential to boost the science and exploration returns of missions travelling throughout the solar system,” said Amy Smith, Deputy Project Manager for the Deep Space Network at JPL, which manages the network. “Laser and radio communications could even be combined to build hybrid antennas, or dishes that can communicate using both radio and optical frequencies at the same time. That could be a game changer for NASA.”
5G mission-critical ruggedised smart device
Hytera Communications has unveiled its PNC660 5G mission-critical ruggedised smart device. Combining mission-critical communication capabilities, multi-layered security features and a usercentric design, the product is suitable for sectors such as public safety, airports and rail transit.
Compliant with 3GPP Release 15 standards, the device supports MCPTT, MCVideo and MCData, enabling seamless voice, video and data communication over 5G/LTE networks. This enables low-latency, real-time communication, crucial for enhancing situational awareness and decisionmaking in high-stress environments. With QCI values of 65/66/67/69/70, the product provides connectivity even in demanding conditions. Furthermore, eMBMS technology optimises network efficiency, enabling real-time multimedia communication for both public safety and industrial users. The device is equipped with multi-layered security protection, including an independent security chip compliant with IC/COS CC EAL5+ standards, alongside robust encryption and key management mechanism. Its anti-tampering system integrates mesh circuit detection, SE-CPU binding and eMMC-CPU binding, safeguarding the unit against unauthorised access.
The product prioritises user safety with features such as man down detection, lone worker mode, covert mode, and other workplace safety enhancement functions. Hytera also introduces its latest enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution alongside the device, providing centralised and secure management of mobile devices, data and content for robust data security.
Powered by a high-performance 8-core processor with a 2.7 GHz main frequency, the product enables smooth multitasking and seamless operation. Its 5000 mAh detachable battery provides all-day power, while the 33 W fast charger fully recharges the device in just 1.5 h. The dual-frequency GPS and BDS are designed to offer precise location tracking, even in challenging environments. The product is designed for user convenience, featuring a Secure Key for high-security modes, a Smart Key for quick actions, and dual Type-C interfaces for charging and accessory use at the same time. With an IP68 water and dust-proof rating and 1.5 m drop resistance, it is suitable for use in harsh environments.
Hytera Communications Co. Ltd www.hytera.com.au
LOOK WHO’S COMING TO COMMS CONNECT NZ
Lauren Davis
The 10th anniversary edition of Comms Connect New Zealand — the Southern Hemisphere’s premier critical communications and public safety event — is coming up soon, and it’s set to feature some of the best critical comms and public safety expert speakers from across Aotearoa and the region.
Over 40 technology vendors will make their way to Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre from 4–5 June 2025, giving event attendees the chance to examine products up close, witness exclusive demonstrations, and ask all their burning questions (exhibition-only entry is free to qualified industry professionals). The accompanying conference will meanwhile see over 30 expert speakers present across two streams, covering the latest critical communications technologies, applications and case studies.
The opening keynote, presented by Matthew Hansen from Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) and Vaughan Matthews from Hourua, will outline the future roadmap for New Zealand’s Public Safety Network (PSN). Helmed by NGCC, the PSN marked a significant milestone in December last year with the launch of its new Cellular Priority service; this means Police, Wellington Free Ambulance, Hato Hone St John, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand will get access to both Spark and One New Zealand cellular networks ahead of other users if there is congestion or degradation on those networks, like what might be experienced during large concerts, sporting events and natural disasters. Once complete, the PSN is set to be one of the largest P25 networks in the world, and will no doubt be discussed further when Kerei Gray from NZ Police and Mike Head from Tait International seek to answer the question “What’s next for P25 in NZ?” in their presentation.
Keynote speaker Sharina Nisha, GM Network Services at One NZ, will speak on the launch of her company’s satellite-to-mobile coverage, which has been gradually rolling out to Kiwi
customers since December last year. Delivered in partnership with Starlink, the satellite service gives users with a VoLTE-capable roaming device the ability to send and receive text messages wherever they have clear line of sight to the sky — and recently proved invaluable when Cyclone Tam caused mobile cell sites to lose power, with One NZ opening the service to customers north of Hamilton for the duration of the outage. Starlink has also enabled the development of IP-connected VHF networks for backcountry search-and-rescue scenarios — previously considered impossible without a huge infrastructure budget — as Matt Ellingham from Land Search and Rescue New Zealand will explain.
Day two will feature a keynote speech from Brenden Winder, Head of Emergency Management for Christchurch City Council, who will provide his expert view on the importance of critical communications in emergency management. He will be followed by Sam Kommunuri, Senior Enterprise Solutions Architect at Amazon Web Services, who will explore the secure implementation of generative AI in high-stakes public safety environments, drawing on realworld applications. And speaking of AI, Fraser
What: Comms Connect New Zealand
When: 4–5 June 2025
Where: Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Web: www.comms-connect.co.nz
Paine, Director of Aware Group, will provide a fascinating look at the agentic future of AI network management.
Other highlights include insights into areas including cybersecurity, machine learning and the IoT, as well as practical case studies covering organisations such as Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Coastguard Nelson and GetHomeSafe. Panel discussions at the end of each day will bring together multiple speakers to explore the topics of ‘Emerging technologies and their impact on critical communications’ and ‘Future opportunities for New Zealand’s critical communications sector’, respectively.
The event is being run with the support of the Radio Frequency Users Association of New Zealand (RFUANZ), which will be holding its AGM at the conference venue after lunch on day one and its annual gala dinner following the day one networking drinks. The dinner will include the presentation of the RFUANZ Industry Excellence Awards, which are a celebration of outstanding achievement and a way to acknowledge the many forms of excellence in the NZ comms industry. Award categories can be found at rfuanz. org.nz/awards, while dinner registration is available at rfuanz.org.nz/gala-dinner/.
For more details on the conference and exhibition, or to register for your ticket, visit www.comms-connect.co.nz. Discounts are available for group registration.
Multiband, multiprotocol mobile radio for public safety comms
Tait Communications has announced the TM9900 Multiband Multiprotocol Mobile Radio for public safety communications, following on from its TP9900 portable radio.
The Tait 9900 series radios are suitable for P25 communications, with the ability to add DMR and analog channels. By supporting both P25 and DMR standards, the series enables communication between police and fire agencies with other mission-critical organisations, including schools, utilities, local government, surf lifesaving, coastguard and transportation.
The radios are configurable to operate on any combination of VHF, UHF and 700/800 MHz and 900 MHz bands. Bands are not locked and can be reconfigured at any time. The TM9900 North American release is capable of 50 W VHF, 40 W UHF, 35 W 700/800 MHz and 900 MHz; for other regions, a 25 W VHF/UHF release will follow.
The TM9900 has a large range of control head options, enabling customers to choose the user interface best suited for the role and featuring options that make vehicle installation quick and easy, reducing the cost of a fleet upgrade. Control head options include local dash mount and remote kits, a built-in 4 W speaker or built-in keypad, with optional keypad microphone and 15 W rugged external speaker compatible with any Tait control head.
Tait 9900 series radios can operate in Analog Conventional, P25 Conventional, P25 Trunking Phase 1 and Phase 2, DMR Tier 2 Conventional and DMR Tier 3 Trunking modes; changing between modes is as easy as changing channels. They are useful as single-band P25 radios, as well as software upgradeable to add multiband and multiprotocol DMR capability when needed. Designed for a changing world, the series’ futureproof flexibility enables users to move forward with fleet upgrades today and evolve over time.
Tait Communications www.taitcommunications.com
Slimline combination shark-fin antenna for fleet applications
Panorama Antennas has released the Reef Sharkee combination antenna, to add to its growing range of products for mission-critical applications including Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC).
The combination antenna offers 4x4 MiMo 5G LTE covering full 698–960/1427–4900 MHz bands, with optional active GPS/GNSS element and (up to 4x4 MiMo) Wi-Fi 6e/7 elements, allowing the product to be a single-antenna solution that can connect to a number of 5G LTE routers and gateways, including from Ericsson (formally Cradlepoint), Peplink and Semtech (formally Sierra Wireless). With the additional feature of a dual band VHF/UHF antenna element, it can also connect directly to a Tait P25 mobile radio, offering the emergency services a single solution for all voice and data functionality.
In the popular vehicle shark-fin styling, the device is designed to fit within the vehicle roof ribs or can be mounted onto a lightbar bracket, making it particularly suitable for law enforcement. The single housing also reduces the antenna footprint on the vehicle, thus reducing installation lead time and costs incurred for withdrawing the vehicle from service, as well as improving resale value. Panorama Antennas Pty Ltd www.panorama-antennas.com
Industrial IoT gateway
The SecFlow-1p is an industrial IoT gateway and a member of RAD’s SecFlow suite of ruggedised Ethernet products. It is an open platform hosting third-party software, besides its communication capabilities.
In its maximum configuration, the product can support four GbE copper ports and two GbE SFP ports, two serial ports (single RS-232 port or one RS-232 plus one RS-485/2W), a built-in Wi-Fi modem, a GPS receiver for location indication, and a cellular modem with two SIM cards or two modems for maximum link resiliency.
The device is equipped with serial interfaces for connectivity of legacy equipment. As a gateway it converts legacy serial protocols to modern IP-based protocols, enabling seamless communication from the IP SCADA to both the old and new RTUs. This provides a single box solution for multi-service applications and smooth migration to all-IP networks.
The product features DIN-rail mounting, IP30 protection, a wide operating temperature range (-40 to 65°C) without fans, or a regular temperature range (-20 to 60°C) for desktop applications.
Agile Networks Ltd www.agilenetworks.co.nz
Critical communication solutions for rail and metro
- ETCS Level 2 over mission critical TETRA
DAMM is the best-known name you’ve never heard of. For 40 years, we have been pioneering radio communication. Today, our magic box and the technology it hides forms the communications backbone of thousands of missioncritical operations across the globe.
From mining and oil to public safety or mobile military networks, even remote villages. And rail systems. Anywhere there is track, you can find DAMM base
stations. Small, grey, unnoticed. 100% redundant and 100% necessary.
Trains don’t just run on rails - they run on real-time data. Our technology powers European Train Control Systems (ETCS) Level 2, keeping drivers constantly updated on speed and signalling, optimising train flow, and ensuring operations stay safe and efficient. Whether in the Outback or the furthest reaches of Te Waipounamu, DAMM keeps rail moving.
DAMM outdoor base stations work fine when the temperature is in the high 40s. And fine in the minus 20s too. The boxes we made 20 years ago are still out there, earning their keep.
So if you are in the rail business and have never heard of us, hello from Denmark.
Learn more at:
damm-aus.com.au
DAMM Australia
Phone: +61 7 5539 4638
Email: info@damm-aus.com.au
AI-powered contextual awareness suites
Nokia has announced its MX Context suites, designed to leverage sensor fusion technology to deliver AI-powered contextual awareness for industrial enterprises.
Integrated into the Nokia Edge Compute and AI platform for industrial sites, the product processes large amounts of data from different sources, providing real-time actionable insights and intelligent automation to enable operational excellence and enhance decision-making. Industrial enterprises can easily ingest, harmonise and fuse sensor data to get real-time actionable insights and improve their operations.
The modular suites are built to create use case-based contextual awareness solutions, combining multimodal data from different sources and delivering real-time, AI-powered insights for Industry 4.0 use cases. They utilise Nokia’s on-premise edge industrial compute solutions, MXIE and MX Grid, for processing, as well as the MXIE Data Lake to store structured and unstructured data for historical analysis, and application data access via APIs.
The tracking and positioning suite can ingest and fuse data from various tracking and positioning technologies, like Bluetooth Angle-of-Arrival (ie, Nokia HAIP), video-based positioning (ie, Nokia VPOD), worker devices’ GPS, and other MXIE third-party tracking technologies such as HERE HD GNSS and Nordic ID. It provides positioning data and enables tracking continuity across mixed industrial environments to optimise asset utilisation, inventory management, processes and material flow.
The worker safety suite ingests and fuses different types of data from Nokia sensory solutions like Nokia VPOD, device sensors (ie, gyroscopes, accelerometers and microphones) and third-party applications. AI-based processing and fusion of real-time data provides situational awareness and contextual information, enabling the detection of potential accidents or incidents and facilitating the best response, such as triggering an alert, notifying emergency services or providing real-time guidance to the worker.
Nokia Solutions and Networks Australia Pty Ltd www.nokia.com
Fully rugged laptops
Beamforming networks
The Butler Matrix family of beamforming networks, from Weinschel by Spectrum Control, have been designed for use in wireless test applications.
Suitable for RF MIMO testing over a large frequency range for transceiver and receiver applications, the beamforming networks reciprocally transfer signals from any of the input ports to any of the output ports, with high phase-accuracy, amplitude balance, low insertion loss and high port-to-port isolation. In transmitting mode, they are designed to deliver maximum power, with progressive phase shift to the output. In receiving mode, they collect signals from all beam directions with the full gain of antenna array.
The range includes the 8401, 8401-8 and 840116 models, which can be used in a variety of configurations across cellular, Wi-Fi and any band within their frequency limits.
Richardson RFPD www.richardsonrfpd.com
Getac has announced its next-generation B360 and B360 Pro fully rugged laptops, offering professionals across industries including public safety, utilities and defence two powerful yet versatile solutions to overcome the daily challenges they face.
Public safety organisations can customise their B360 devices with a range of specific software, hardware, accessory and service options to fully optimise their situational awareness capabilities. Software options such as Getac Geolocation can be specified for more accurate location information, while the addition of multiple optional device authentication layers, such as password, RFID reader and a fingerprint reader, helps enable seamless device access while maintaining data security at all times. Additional accessories, including a secure vehicle dock and high-capacity batteries, further enhance device usability in the field, while keeping downtime to a minimum.
The B360 is also suitable for mobile GIS, surveying and mapping tasks in remote locations and/or adverse weather conditions, due to its MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461G and IP66 certifications, as well as 1.8 m drop resistance. An optional secure carry bag aids portability, while software such as Getac Virtual GPS Utility offers a fast way to manage up to five GPS applications simultaneously. If even more accuracy is required, the device can be equipped with an optional high-accuracy GPS module and antenna. In the defence industry, commanders rely on Getac rugged devices for real-time intelligence, military data integration and secure communications to drive mission-critical decisions and counter threats. The B360 Pro features extended battery life for uninterrupted operation in the field, while an optional secure vehicle dock can quickly turn any vehicle into a mobile command station. The device can also be customised to include two PCMCIA readers if needed (one is included as standard), further increasing device functionality without the need for external adapters.
Technology Corp www.getac.com
INTELLIGENT BONDING AND SASE
SECURE, HIGH-PERFORMANCE CONNECTIVITY FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR
John Hopping, CTO Asia Pacific, Enterprise Wireless Solutions, Ericsson
Intelligent bonding and secure access service edge (SASE) can intersect to provide public sector organisations and emergency response units with networking capabilities that are flexible, highly secure, consistent and resilient. As emergency situations unfold and connectivity needs shift rapidly, these technologies adapt to maintain optimised access and performance despite adverse conditions.
What is intelligent bonding?
Intelligent bonding combines multiple WAN links of any type into a single, virtual bonded link to enhance performance and availability. For example, a location could have a 4G LTE connection, a broadband internet connection and a satellite link combined into one bonded link. There are a number of key benefits of link bonding, including:
• Flow duplication: This provides high availability for mission-critical data traffic. It is ideal for cellular routers in vehicles, when roaming between various wireless providers or even between cellular and low-orbit satellite networks.
• Increased bandwidth: Traffic is load balanced across links based on real-time capacity to boost throughput, especially on the upload. Organisations can take advantage of higher aggregated throughput for a specific bandwidth-hungry application, like a file transfer or video upload.
• Increased WAN efficiency and cost control: Traffic is balanced across each WAN connection based on user-defined weights to gain optimal throughput for a variety of diverse applications.
What is SASE?
SASE converges networking and network security into a cloud-native service. It secures and optimises connectivity and access to applications and resources based on identity, not network location. The benefits of SASE include:
• Zero trust access: All access requests are authenticated and authorised based on policy before connectivity is allowed. This stops attacks from spreading laterally if a breach does occur.
• Secure optimised connectivity: Traffic routing and application access policies are integrated with security policies for faster performance and better user experience.
• Consistent operation: Policies automatically follow the user no matter where they connect from — whether the office, home or mobile.
• Seamless failover: If any one link fails, traffic is dynamically shifted to the remaining link(s) with no drop in sessions.
Intelligent bonding and SASE working together
When integrated into a SASE architecture, intelligent bonding can enhance SASE performance and availability. Ambulances, fire trucks, police vehicles and other emergency response units require always-on connectivity for critical voice, video and database access when responding to incidents. Intelligent bonding can bond multiple links — fixed broadband, 4G, 5G, satellite — together to deliver highly resilient wireless connectivity with ample bandwidth for applications. SASE provides consistent, optimised and secured access to applications and resources that sit on top of the bonded links, regardless of where the vehicle is located.
In crisis situations like natural disasters, temporary pop-up healthcare facilities with networking capabilities may need to be estab-
lished quickly. Intelligent bonding can be used to combine multiple wireless links to these facilities to create a high bandwidth bonded connection that performs well despite adverse conditions. SASE secures this connection into the healthcare network, providing authorised staff with consistent and optimised access to patient healthcare records and applications. Policies automatically follow clinicians securely connecting from either the pop-up facility or their own devices.
In addition to healthcare facilities, when emergency situations occur, temporary incident command centres are often quickly set up near affected locations to coordinate response and recovery activities. Intelligent bonding can rapidly combine 4G/5G and broadband links onsite to deliver fast and resilient connectivity to these temporary emergency operations centres. SASE secures this connectivity and allows seamless access to computing resources and applications in the cloud or primary data centres — allowing the operations centres to have the same connectivity experience as a permanent site.
As public sector organisations increasingly rely on cloud-based applications — as well as mobile workforce enablement, in the case of emergency services — they need WAN connectivity that is secure, performs well and is highly available. Public sector organisations should consider intelligent bonding and SASE — two key technologies that intersect to deliver these capabilities. Ericsson Australia Pty Ltd www.cradlepoint.com/au
NEW TECHNIQUE TO ELIMINATE SIGNALS DISRUPTING RADIO TELESCOPES
Complete control room solutions
Frequentis equips Blue Light services with futureready control room solutions, addressing the growing need for interservice collaboration and rapid incident resolution. As emergency services worldwide – and notably in Australia – face increasing pressures, our unified platform ensures seamless communication, enhanced interoperability, and efficient stakeholder engagement. By harmonising contact, dispatch, and communication technologies, we provide a holistic view of unfolding events, ensuring timely information delivery.
Our flexible solution suite – featuring LifeX, FlagMii EML, nowtice, and the 3GPP-standardised MissionX – supports all essential control room operations. MissionX enables mission-critical multimedia communication over public, dedicated, and hybrid 4G/5G networks, facilitating realtime data exchange and situational awareness. Frequentis offers a scalable platform tailored to mission-critical environments, empowering emergency services to navigate emerging challenges with speed, resilience, and confidence.
ULTRA-WIDEBAND ANTENNA DESIGNED FOR STEALTH AIRCRAFT
Chinese researchers have designed a compact, high-performance antenna that can seamlessly integrate into modern stealth aircraft, enabling efficient communication and navigation without compromising radar invisibility or aerodynamic performance.
As stealth capabilities and aerodynamic performance become essential, modern combat aircraft are being designed with flatter profiles to minimise their radar signature and improve aerodynamic efficiency. These aircraft feature a flying wing design that resembles a flat plate and a tail-less configuration, significantly reducing the surface area detectable by radar. However, these sleek designs pose challenges when integrating communication and navigation systems.
Traditional antennas, which are bulky and protrude from the aircraft, can be easily detected by radar. To maintain both stealth and aerodynamic performance, compact antennas that seamlessly integrate into the aircraft’s structure are increasingly necessary. Currently, antennas as small as 5 mm can be built into the surface of aircrafts; however, these antennas typically operate within a narrow frequency range of 2.3–2.5 GHz. To cover a wider range (150–600 MHz), the antenna’s height needs to be increased to 0.39 times the wavelength, making it much larger than the original 5 mm size.
Researchers from the Southwest China Institute of Electronic Technology and the University of Electronic Science and Technol-
ogy of China (UESTC) have now introduced an omnidirectional circular ring antenna that is both ultra-wideband and low profile. The antenna has a profile height of just 0.047 times the low-frequency wavelength, making it significantly smaller and capable of covering a broader frequency range. Their work has been published in the Journal of Electronic Science and Technology
“We propose an airborne ultra-wideband circular ring conformal array antenna based on the typical tightly coupled ultra-wideband long slot element and traditional miniaturisation methods of omnidirectional antennas,” said team leader Associate Professor Feng Yang, from UESTC.
The research team achieved miniaturisation by extending the current path of the antenna, effectively making it electrically longer than its physical size. The design features two tightly coupled dipole antennas arranged in a circular pattern, with the H-plane (corresponding to the magnetic field) aligned with the array’s direction. Each antenna is designed with a long slot opening, which shapes the current flow and enables the antenna to operate across a broad frequency range. The elements are fed with equal in-phase power, ensuring consistent signal strength across all elements.
To achieve a low-profile design, the antenna uses two elements connected with a power divider along the E-plane (electric field) direction. However, using only two elements leads to edge effects, such as current loss at the edges and impedance mismatch. To resolve this, they incorporated a short-circuit wall, which reflects electric fields like a mirror and helps to control the current flow along the antenna. They also placed lumped resistors in the gaps of the wall to absorb edge reflected waves.
To further reduce ground reflection interference, the researchers positioned a resistive frequency-selective surface between the antenna and the metal ground. Simulations showed that this surface absorbs over 30% of the reflected energy, especially at higher frequencies where interference is most severe, thereby improving overall performance.
The result is a highly compact, ultralowprofile omnidirectional circular array with eight elements, featuring a height of only 0.047 times the low-frequency wavelength and a lateral diameter of 0.19 times the wavelength. The antenna operates across a broad frequency range, achieving an impedance bandwidth close to 12:1 while maintaining an active voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) consistently below 3, indicating efficient performance with minimal energy loss. Additionally, it ensures good omnidirectional radiation characteristics, with gain patterns controlled within 3 dB across the entire operational bandwidth, making it ideal for multifunctional airborne antenna applications.
Spectrum
Why P25 technology remains a good fit for public safety communications
Public safety agencies in many countries depend on two-way radio communications for daily and incident communications. Digital land mobile radio (LMR) technology is particularly critical and ensures police officers, firefighters and emergency management teams can respond quickly and efficiently when emergencies arise.
One digital LMR standard that is particularly beneficial for public safety communications is Project 25 (P25) technology. Developed with state, local and federal government representatives and Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) governance, P25 has gained worldwide acceptance for public safety, security, public service and commercial applications. Radio equipment that demonstrates compliance with P25 can meet a set of minimum requirements to fit users’ needs. In fact, the P25 standard was initially created for public safety professionals, although the technology is also used by utilities, mining companies, transportation agencies and other mission-critical infrastructure entities.
P25 systems can operate in conventional or trunked modes, with two phases of the technology. Phase 1 is based on frequencydivision multiple access (FDMA) technology and was designed to use the same bandwidth as a narrowband analog FM 25 kHz channel, meaning they could be used side by side and narrowband FM channels could gradually be replaced by P25 digital channels. P25 Phase 2 is based on time-division multiple access (TDMA) technology and is more spectrally efficient than Phase 1, providing two effective channels per 12.5 kHz bandwidth. In P25 Phase 2, each physical base station provides two voice channels. With TDMA, two independent conversations share the same channel.
Another benefit of P25 Phase 2 is longer battery life. Because of TDMA, the transmit ter is only working half the time during a transmission, therefore increasing the battery life of the portable. In addition, Phase 2,
only available for trunked P25 operation, is backwards compatible with Phase 1 radios, allowing a new Phase 2 radio to operate with users of P25 Phase 1 equipment and to operate on Phase 1 network equipment.
Customers can choose from multiple P25 system configurations, including direct mode, repeated, single site, multi-site, voting, multicast and simulcast systems. Optional features create cost-effective system applications and geographic coverage based on unique user requirements. Backward and forward compatibility considerations are built into the P25 standards, easing future system expansions and migration to new technology upgrades.
In a recent social media poll asking what the most significant advantage of open standards is in the critical communications industry, more than half of poll respondents said “interoperability”. While other considerations including freedom of vendor choice, lower prices and avoiding technology obsolescence are essential, interoperability is a massive issue for communications managers around the globe. Communication during disasters is rarely easy and often crosses different agencies and companies, involving several emergency networks. Interoperable communications systems are the key to keeping first responders safe and for the most effective and efficient response to incidents requiring mutual aid.
One way to address interoperability challenges is by purchasing standards-based
equipment. The TIA TR-8 Working Group that oversees P25 standards updates the technology, with recent enhancements to security, for example, and ensures it continually addresses first responders’ needs.
The P25 standard includes several interfaces to help ensure interoperability. The Common Air Interface (CAI) standardises the point of connection between radio transmitters and receivers. Simply put, the CAI defines the technical form and function of the digital signal that goes over the airwaves and how P25 radios would communicate with one another at the most basic level. Some other interfaces include the following:
• The Inter-RF Subsystem Interface (ISSI) defines how different P25 radio networks can connect with one another — a key issue of communications interoperability. This effectively allows the full P25 system of Vendor A to be connected to the full P25 network of Vendor B, for example.
• The Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) allows the radio frequency (RF) components of a P25 system and command and control consoles to connect with one another.
• The Fixed Station Interface (FSI) defines how components of a P25 radio system that are fixed in place connect with other components of the system. Dispatcher consoles are typically used to access fixed RF stations, so the CSSI and FSI are interdependent in most applications.
The P25 Compliance Assessment Program (CAP), overseen by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ensures interoperability between the equipment from the various P25 manufacturers, allowing suppliers to publicly attest to their products’ compliance through P25 CAP testing at DHS-recognised laboratories. Also, as public safety agencies adopt broadband services to enhance their data connectivity, P25 systems can interoperate with commercial 4G/5G services. The 3GPP-compliant Inter Working Function (IWF) with authentication anchored on the respective core networks will support P25 and LTE interoperability.
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.
