Comms Connect Sydney 2014 preview

Australia's leading radio and combined communication conference and exhibition comes to Sydney for the first time.

What: Comms Connect Sydney 2014

When: 18-19 June 2014

Where: Australian Technology Park, Redfern, Sydney

Web: comms-connect.com.au

In 2014, a satellite Comms Connect conference and exhibition is being held in Sydney for the first time. While the main event will be held in Melbourne later in the year, the organisers have been well aware that not everyone who would like to attend is able to travel to the southern capital.

“We’ve listened to feedback from prospective delegates, especially from some in Sydney, who’ve told us that they’d like to be able to make it to Melbourne but have been unable to do so due to budgetary and other constraints,” says Paul Davis, lead organiser for Comms Connect. “For instance, we’ve had people in government departments and volunteer agencies who’ve told us they’d like to bring eight or 10 people along. Having a satellite event in Sydney will enable them to attend and catch up on the main program highlights from Melbourne, as well as taking advantage of the essential networking opportunities.”

While the core of the event is still radio communications, the convergence of technologies being seen - from IP to mobile broadband and more - means that the event is no longer just about two-way radio, but a whole range of technologies and solutions, all of which will be found on the exhibition floor and discussed during the conference and workshops.

The organisers have been fortunate to secure Rod Gilmour, chairman of the NSW Telco Authority, to give the opening keynote address. He’ll be followed by another high-powered public safety agency speaker, Shane Fitzsimmons AFSM, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service.

A packed program

A solid and varied number of speakers and topics have been packed into the program. The mid-morning sessions on the first day will see two parallel streams of presentations, with the first covering critical communications and public safety. First up will be David Hill (area north manager, government & public safety, Motorola Solutions), who will describe how LTE can give public safety agencies new standards of intelligence to enhance community safety. He’ll be followed by Bruce Mazza (vice president of solutions marketing, Tait Communications) speaking on unified critical communications, and then Steve Darrell (practice manager, Securus Global) on cyber security threats to radio.

The other stream will cover technology, led off by Ashwin Dinkar (senior bid engineer, Simoco Australasia), who will discuss the synergy between M2M communications and IP. He’ll be followed by Shane Murphy (vice president and general manager, KORE Wireless), who will outline GSM and satellite comms for M2M, and Bogdan Kloblassa (director, protection technologies, Times Microwave Systems), speaking on the topic of lightning protection and ground solutions for wireless networks.

Following the lunch break - and split by the afternoon break - there will be three workshop sessions: Advanced radio over IP; Mobile broadband & LTE for critical communications; and Ensure network migration success with Change Management. The workshops were very popular in Melbourne last year, so it’s recommended that you book your place well in advance to avoid missing out.

Day one will be rounded off with networking drinks, followed by the ARCIA industry networking dinner at the Dockside Restaurant at Cockle Bay Wharf.

Day two

The second day will commence with two keynote addresses. First up will be Lance Valcour, chairman of the Law Enforcement Information Management Section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Inspector Valcour gave a very impressive and thought-provoking keynote address at Comms Connect in Melbourne last year, challenging those in the audience to think laterally about issues facing the critical communications industry. In Sydney, he’ll give attendees the benefits of his knowledge of public safety interoperability on the international stage.

The second keynote will be given by Peter Clemons, managing director of Quixoticity, a UK-based communications consultancy and head of TETRA Business, Americas, for Hytera Mobilfunk GmbH. Clemons, too, is a very thought-provoking speaker, and at Sydney will talk about the true value of critical communications in the information age.

Following the morning break, there will be two parallel speaker streams again. In the transport and utilities stream, Brett Savill (strategy and corporate development director, Broadcast Australia Infrastructure Group) will discuss how to build a wireless network underground in the New York subway. He’ll be followed by Bela Felsner (rail infrastructure superintendent, Fortescue Metals Group), who’ll describe the company’s TETRA ‘pit to port’ system. Then, Steve Harvey (engineering manager, distributed coverage and capacity solutions, CommScope) will present a case study on providing P25 coverage in Ausgrid’s underground high-voltage cable tunnels.

The second stream is technology again, led off by a case study presented by Dale Stacey (technical director, SAT Pty) on LTE for communications, SCADA and automation. He’ll be followed by Paul Daigneault (CEO/MD, MiMOMax Wireless), who will ask the question is there still room for linking narrowband PMR sites in the modern world? Finally, Martin McLeod (vice president, ARCIA) will give a presentation with the intriguing title ‘RF in the IT domain - it’s not just wireless’.

After the lunch break, the technology stream will continue, with presentations by Geof Heydon (director, Information Sciences Group, CSIRO), who will discuss  alternatives to LTE for first responders, followed by Peter Choquenot (technical director, ATI Australia) on the topic of the future of private microwave radio networks in the era of national broadband networks. Finally, John Yaldwyn (chief technology officer, 4RF Australia) will give a presentation on high-performance, narrowband UHF SCADA radio.

Following the afternoon break, the conference will conclude with a presentation by Anthony Goonan (director, network commercial engineer, Telstra Corporation) on a roadmap to deliver next-generation critical communications, before closing remarks from Ian Miller of ARCIA.

Exhibitors and sponsors

A great range of exhibitors will be present at Comms Connect Sydney - see the full list on these pages.

Sponsors are an invaluable part of every conference, and Comms Connect Sydney is fortunate to have many of the region’s leading communications companies as part of the team. The Digital Partner is Telstra, Silver Sponsors are ICS Industries, Rojone and Critical Comms magazine. Comms Connect is presented in association with the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association.

Comms Connect Melbourne

Don’t forget that Comms Connect Melbourne will be on again this year, at the slightly earlier time of 30 September-2 October, instead of the usual November. Full details will be available on the Comms Connect website in the coming months.

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Comms Connect Sydney 2014 exhibitor list

• Agilent Technologies
• Amtex Electronics
• Anritsu
• ARCIA
• ATI Australia
• Audioxtra International
• Australasian Tetra Forum
• Critical Comms
• Delta Gamma Consultant
• Emona Instruments
• Gencom
• GME
• GMG Solutions
• Hytera
• Icom Australia
• ICS Industries
• IP Mobilenet
• JVC Kenwood
• Lightning Protection International
• Logic Wireless
• Mckay Associates
• Mastercom
• Orionet
• RF Technology
• Rojone
• Sepura
• Simoco Australasia
• Survey Technologies Inc
• Tait Communications
• Trio Test and Measurement
• Vicom Australia
• Wave 1
• ZCG Scalar