Technology the focus of NZ conference

A ‘must attend’ event for everyone involved in Australasian business- and mission-critical communications.

Since 1990, the Radio Frequency Users Association of New Zealand (RFUANZ) has held a highly successful annual conference that has helped bring radio and wireless communications industry users, dealers, consultants, manufacturers and other stakeholders together in order that they can network, learn, share ideas and do business together.

As of last year, the event is now called Comms Connect Wellington, as the RFUANZ works with WF Media and the team behind the Comms Connect brand and Critical Comms magazine to expand the conference’s reach. This partnership is building on the success of this well-established and very well-respected conference and exhibition.

Comms Connect Wellington 2017 will take place at Te Papa, the national museum of New Zealand, on 11 and 12 April. It will be a must-attend event if you are: a first responder; work in public safety, transport or utilities; operate in the mining, oil and gas or the wider resources sector; work in security, defence, a commercial enterprise or government department; or if you’re active in any other sector that uses radio and converged communications.

The conference will include technical presentations, case studies and workshops presented by a line-up 30-plus local and international speakers and subject matter experts. Here’s a selection of the presentations scheduled:

• Technology choice and application within New Zealand Police (Superintendent Jevon McSkimming, CIO, NZ Police)
• Social media engagement in disasters (Caroline Milligan, Associate Director of Emergency Management, Crest Advisory)
• Case study: Improving the visibility and reliability of bus services within the public transport sector using digital two-way radio (Glen Norris, National Business Development, Manager, The Orion Network)
• Implementation of a four-site DMR network for Surf Life Saving New Zealand (Chris Stevens, SLSA Lifesaving Communications Advisor, Surf Life Saving New Zealand)
• Going the distance: Super-long microwave linking in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand (Aaron Prior, Senior Sales Engineer, and Richard Malley, Regional Sales Manager, Aviat Networks)
• Case studies in transforming wired and wireless consumer broadband into enterprise-grade networks (Gavin Wilson, Managing Director, Cradlepoint Asia Pacific)
• Using digital LMR to meet users’ needs in rural New Zealand (Scott Bensemann, Director, Teletronics)
• Massive MU MIMO: Achieving much higher capacity fixed wireless networks (Roy Wittert, Regional Sales Director, Cambium Networks)
• Radio frequency protocols for Internet of Things (Jonathan Brewer, Consulting Engineer, Telco2)
• Defending critical communications network infrastructure against cyber-attacks (Bilal Javed, Senior Consulting Engineer, Nokia)
• On-the-fly communications, supporting emergency responders during major disasters (Station Officer Graham Tait, Systems Officer, Operational Communications, Fire & Rescue NSW)
• Seamless smart city network modelling for LoRA Mesh and LTE networks (Yahya Khaled, Spectrum Engineer, ATDI)
• Terrorism, natural disasters and lessons from Europe — how technology must support change (Matt Wroughton, Business Development Manager, Excelerate Technology)

There’ll also be three panel sessions, covering a range of important topics:

• Building a radio network from the ground up — an independent session on planning required to deliver a private land mobile radio network (Chris Stevens, Surf Life Saving New Zealand)
• LTE 101 — its strengths, weaknesses and application (Simon Lardner, Director, Challenge Networks)
• Technology to shift the safety/risk paradigm (Monique Princen, Tenaz Communication Consultancy)

You can find full details of speakers, sessions and panel discussions at comms-connect.co.nz.

Exhibition

The exhibition will cover 1000 square metres and comprise more than 40 exhibitors, including all the big names in the Australasian comms market, including many dedicated New Zealand firms. You can see a full list of exhibitors and sponsors at comms-connect.co.nz/whos-exhibiting/.

RFUANZ AGM and Gala Dinner

The RFUANZ is a non-profit organisation whose membership ranges from local government authorities to transport operators, consultancies to radio dealers, and network operators to private individuals. Its mission is to protect, promote and preserve the rights of organisations and individuals who require access to the radio spectrum.

The association’s annual general meeting will take place on the morning of 11 April at the same venue as the conference, and will be followed that evening by the RFUANZ Industry Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner, also at Te Papa. For ticketing and other enquiries, contact events@rfuanz.org.nz, visit rfuanz.org.nz or call +64 21 146 2380.

Essential event

It’s important for all users of radio and converged communications in business- and mission-critical working environments, as well as dealers, manufacturers or suppliers in this sector, to seek out the very latest information, technologies and solutions and to cement relationships. Comms Connect Wellington will deliver the opportunity for you and your colleagues to achieve these objectives. See you there!

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Comms Connect Wellington

Conference: 11 April (9.00 am–5.00 pm), 12 April (9.30 am–5.00 pm)

Exhibition: 11 April (9.00 am–5.00 pm), 12 April (9.00 am–3.30 pm)

Where: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable Street, Wellington

Who: More than 300 delegates and 40-plus exhibitors

Web: comms-connect.co.nz