Telstra, Motorola Solutions join forces for public safety broadband

Telstra and Motorola Solutions have signed a memorandum of understanding to further develop public safety broadband solutions based on Telstra’s LTE Advanced Network for Emergency Services (LANES) capability, products and services.

LANES will be enhanced by Motorola’s dynamic prioritisation, smart public safety applications, interoperability solutions and public safety optimised devices.

The companies say the Enhanced LANES solution is designed to provide dedicated, priority broadband data access to emergency services during a large-scale incident and ensure that critical information can be shared in real time with and between emergency service operatives who need to make quick and accurate decisions in the field.

Telstra Group Managing Director Networks Mike Wright said the relationship with Motorola Solutions will enable development of the solution even further and expand its range of applications and devices for emergency use.

“We have completed a number of successful trials of the LANES solution allowing us to see that it is possible to provide dedicated services to a number of users while still managing the telecommunications needs of the general public,” said Wright.

“Our relationship with Motorola Solutions allows us to work together to enhance the service and develop additional solutions that can be tailored for the benefit of emergency services organisations.”

Senior Vice President Motorola Solutions, Asia Pacific and Middle East, Dr Mohammad Akhtar said broadband innovations are allowing public safety organisations to meet community expectations to be more agile to receive and share information, while also managing demands to do more with less.

“This is a significant opportunity for Australia’s public safety industry. Agencies are already contemplating how to convert the masses of available data into usable intelligence. Our relationship with Telstra is intent on putting intelligence into the hands of the people who need it most,” said Dr Akhtar.

The Enhanced LANES solution uses dedicated spectrum resources augmented with prioritisation on Telstra’s existing spectrum holdings to deliver services.

The companies say the solution will also protect and extend interoperability with existing land mobile radio networks and will meet agencies’ needs for prioritisation, end-to-end security and encryption.

Motorola Solutions and Telstra previously worked together in 2013 to build the Queensland Government Wireless Network and say the new collaboration offers opportunities to explore how public safety applications enabled by advanced dynamic broadband can enrich the capabilities of first responders.

LANES’ first real-world trial will be during the G20 Summit in Brisbane next month, with Telstra working closely with the Queensland Government to demonstrate its capabilities during the high-profile event.