ARCIA update: AGM highlights

ARCIA’s AGM took place on 28 August and I’m pleased to report that we again saw nominations for our 12 committee positions and all executive positions ahead of the meeting, which demonstrates, I think, how engaged the market is with our year-round activities and the outcomes being generated. It was also pleasing to see increased interest from the carrier space, again showing that as an association we are transitioning as the market moves and changes.

As I reported, ARCIA has continued to plan an expansive program to promote the critical communications industry and all its components and, in my opinion, we are largely succeeding in these efforts.

A key reason for the success is the decision the association made to take on a full-time CEO, Paul Davis. His knowledge of the industry and how we could work to bring more people together is showing results:

• Increased numbers attending our events and attendees from a wider range of wireless communications users as well as industry personnel.
• Increased income and benefits for our industry partners who help sponsor the association.
• Increased action on our social media platforms.
• Increased networking through our local Sundowners in many locations.
• Agreement in place with WFE and higher profile assisting Comms Connect.
• Increased opportunities and exposure through attendance at international conferences.
• Commenced industry training with good responses to date and a high level of interest being shown.
   

The things Paul is doing might be considered by some just to be his job, but he has brought a new breath of life to the role and his skills are now being seen in real benefits to the association, and we should highlight that as verification of the decision made by the committee to move to a full-time CEO role.

We also need to recognise that the association needs to make some structural changes to properly reflect our national footprint and desire to truly represent the whole critical communications marketplace:

1. Constitution changes to provide a longer-term stability in the ARCIA leadership team, making the executive team appointed on three-year terms.
2. Preparation for updating the association name to better reflect the change in our membership base and more direct involvement from the critical communications users — both mission critical and business critical.

With the fantastic support from members and partners, the association’s finances continue to be in good shape, while we continue to invest in networking and conference events. Updating of the association platforms for finance and membership services is occurring so that the association can attract new members and provide value to all levels of members.

One of the important activities that ARCIA undertakes is to lobby the ACMA for access to spectrum for all members. Our attitude is that while technical protection and standards for spectrum is important, having an open market with access to all is equally important. Spectrum should be used to maximise the economic benefit for all Australians and ARCIA will work with anyone to that end.

As many segments of the critical communications industry provide private networks using many different technologies — some established, others emerging — in urban, regional and remote areas, industry requires access to spectrum as a first step.

It is pleasing to report that after many years of lobbying to get the ACMA to make provisions for private wireless broadband services — a battle we have fought for a decade, initially as a lone voice in the wilderness — we are now seeing new allocations and a process to make this happen.

Indeed, on use of LTE for public safety, ARCIA has been campaigning along with many industry colleagues for the Australian Public Safety Mobile Broadband program to happen. Access to communications is vital to all public safety users and it seems the lessons of past natural disasters are soon forgotten.

ARCIA has reached out to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as they called for industry input though an RFI process. Our members are part of the critical communications landscape and have vast levels of experience to offer, so we encourage any and all to raise PSMB issues through the committee, as we will share these thoughts with NEMA.

Finally, I have no doubt the critical communications industry will continue to grow and flourish, regardless of the underlying technology, so let’s continue to gather, collaborate and learn from each other when the opportunities arise, as we have been doing for many years.

Hamish Duff, President, Australian Radio Communications Industry Association.

Top image credit: iStock.com/Mihajlo Maricic