RFI released for Australia's PSMB capability

The long-awaited request for information (RFI) for Australia’s much-needed national Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) capability has been released.

This RFI has been issued by the NSW Telco Authority on behalf of the federal, state and territory governments.

In a joint statement issued at the time of the announcement, the relevant ministers from all Australian jurisdictions reiterated “the critical role that public safety communications have in enabling law enforcement and emergency services to do what they do best — protect and help Australians in need”.

“States and territories will shortly commence a market engagement exercise on a federated PSMB capability, the outcomes of which will inform advice to the Council of Australian Governments.

The statement said that New South Wales will lead the early market engagement exercise on behalf of jurisdictions and “we encourage the Australian and international telecommunications sector to participate in this important process”.

“Ministers have reaffirmed a commitment to working together towards achieving an interoperable PSMB capability for Australia and agreed in principle that a preferred PSMB service delivery model for Australia would be:

• a federated system that enables states and territories to opt in and be tailored for jurisdictional differences and implementation timetables;
• deployable across the infrastructure and assets of multiple mobile network operators and states and territories to ensure reliability; and
• centred around the high-level requirements and objectives developed by jurisdictions in 2017.

“Responses to this market engagement exercise will inform Commonwealth decision-making with regards to commercial spectrum requirements.”

The RFI seeks information from the telecommunications industry about:

• current, proposed and potential PSMB service delivery model(s);
• the ability of these PSMB service delivery model(s) to meet the PSMB National Objectives and high-level requirements (HLRs) developed collaboratively by Australian governments;
• how these PSMB service delivery model(s) might be implemented, including the contribution any spectrum dedicated to PSMB could make to meeting the PSMB National Objectives.

The RFI is available to registered entities at the NSW Government eTendering website.

Image courtesy Motorola Solutions.

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