Comms Connect Melbourne: conference preview

The 2024 edition of Comms Connect Melbourne, taking place at MCEC on 16–17 October, is set to be the largest in the show’s 16-year history.

The event will cover four bays at the MCEC this year, with a record number of exhibitors booked and more key executive international and local leaders set to feature in the conference program than ever before. And with three concurrent conference streams to choose from — Public Safety, Critical Comms and Industry — attendees can build the agenda that best suits their interests.

The keynote speaker on day one will be Chief Richard Carrizzo, Chair of the FirstNet Authority in the USA, providing a global best-practice view of public safety comms. He will be joined at the conference by FirstNet’s Director of Innovation, Brian Hobson, as well as other US representatives including but not limited to Project 25 Technology Interest Group board member Cheryl Giggetts, providing a P25 global update; Don Griffis from L3Harris, detailing how converged devices can benefit public safety personnel; and the National Institute of Technology’s (NIST) Ellen Ryan, Monika Bochert and Stephanie Layman, sharing some of their research into using AI and machine learning for first responder applications.

Providing a Nordic perspective on the comms world, Tero Pesonen from Critical Communications Finland and Elina Avela from Beaconsim Finland will outline how the Finnish ecosystem is addressing the transition to mobile broadband. Meanwhile, GSMA APAC’s Terence Wong is jetting in from Hong Kong to discuss how the implementation of 5G technology is acting as a catalyst for digital transformation across various industries. And closer to home, New Zealand will be sending representatives from Hourua, Tait Communications and Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) — all of which are involved in delivering the country’s Public Safety Network (PSN). For the latest NZ PSN updates, see our article here.

Local industry leaders will include NSW Telco Authority (NSWTA) Managing Director Kylie De Courteney, who will explain the need for and benefits that Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) will bring to Australia’s first responders by providing a glimpse of the future uses of PSMB and current examples from around the globe. Separately to this, NSWTA Associate Director of Engineering Architecture Khalid Salim will outline the massive task the Authority undertakes each day to manage NSW’s own PSN — one of the largest P25 networks in the world.

Andrew Ugarte, from Surf Life Saving NSW, will provide an overview of the organisation’s UHF voice linking project covering terrain and climate challenges, building in resilience to help minimise ongoing expenditure. Tony Hine, from Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), will meanwhile explain how FRNSW is utilising existing radio technologies to work in domains outside of traditional firefighting, and the technological gaps that remain challenging to overcome.

Luke Marchant, from Telstra Enterprise, will explore Telstra’s journey with the recently completed Tasmanian Government Radio Network (TasGRN) as well as the continued evolution of the South East Queensland-based Government Wireless Network (GWN) — including what the future will look like as we head towards the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. And Garry Kerr, from the Queensland Police Service, will explain how the Service is managing and maintaining its radio networks outside of SEQ, while simultaneously leveraging security and roaming enhancements as well as black spot reduction.

Four leadership panels will be held across the two days of the conference, featuring local and international panellists. These sessions will cover satellites and the future of critical comms; P25 developments locally and globally; emerging tech and the impact on critical comms; and an introduction to TAK from those using it in the US and UK. An additional panel, moderated by British APCO Chief Operating Officer Duncan Swan, will detail some of the recent carrier network failures around the globe that have impacted on delivering emergency communications.

In the lead-up to the conference proper, Comms Connect association partners ARCIA and ACCF/TCCA will be holding a series of preconference workshops, covering subjects including P25 standards, the TAK imperative and private LTE/5G fundamentals. These workshops will be held at MCEC on 15 October and will be able to go into more depth than is possible with a standard conference presentation. They can be booked as part of the conference package or individually.

The exhibition hall will showcase over 90 leading local and international critical communications and public safety technology vendors, including key partners Telstra, L3Harris, Tait Communications, Hypha and RFI Technology Solutions as well as sponsors like Motorola, Radlink, Ericsson and Omnitronics. The exhibition is open all day on 16–17 October and when delegates are not attending the conference streams they are welcome to visit the exhibition floor.

Networking drinks will be held in the exhibition hall on the evening of 16 October, which will be followed upstairs by ARCIA’s Gala Dinner and Industry Excellence Awards. Featuring fantastic food and entertainment, the event will be a night to celebrate all that is great about the radio and critical communications industry, including some of its most outstanding individuals and organisations (with award nominations closing on 20 September). To book for the Gala Dinner, visit https://events.humanitix.com/2024-arcia-industry-gala-dinner.

Flexible attendance options are available, including one- or two-day packages, with or without workshops, or if time is limited, a free exhibition-only pass. Early-bird registration closes on 13 September.

What: Comms Connect Melbourne
When: 16–17 October 2024
Where: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Web: https://melbourne.comms-connect.com.au/