The road to broadband

When it comes to public safety mobile broadband, it’s vital that Australia learns from other countries’ experiences.

I recently attended the TETRA and Critical Communications Association’s (TCCA) fourth Critical Communications Middle East and North African (MENA) 2016 conference in Dubai. This was an excellent conference and both TCCA and the event organising team led by Jackson Szabo should be congratulated on its success.

Mobile broadband was a key topic during the conference, and it was apparent from the discussions that, along with the rest of the world, Australia shares common challenges in conceptualising an appropriate ecosystem to support the needs of our society. Speakers and delegates discussed the implementation of the full range of broadband network options, be they totally commercial networks, hybrid networks or dedicated networks. These networks have the potential to provide mobility, integration, seamless connectivity, security and priority communications.

However, there is no single solution or model that can be applied. Kable’s September 2016 report (‘First Responder Solutions in the UK and Internationally’) on first responder communications solutions made just such a finding. This absence of a standard model for a broadband network underscores the challenges faced by the ACMA as it advances the latest version of the Five-year Spectrum Outlook (FYSO).

In terms of the public safety communications ecosystem, the discussions also supported the broad outcomes of the Productivity Commission’s research report in relation to public safety mobile broadband in that “on first principles — the most efficient, effective and economical way of delivering a public safety mobile broadband capability is by relying on commercial mobile networks (and spectrum)”.

It was interesting listening to Stephen Greenslade and Dr Barbara Held as they compared and contrasted the approaches taken by the United Kingdom and Germany in the transition to different public safety mobile broadband models. Greenslade is the Principal Solutions Architect for EE and is involved in rolling out the UK’s new Emergency Services Network (ESN) as it replaces the current Airwave TETRA Network. This is a solution based on a totally commercial network and will include the use of Voice over LTE for emergency services. Held is the director of operations for the Federal Agency for Digital Radio of Emergency Service (BDBOS). The German approach is based on a hybrid model using TETRA and mobile broadband.

The conversations focused on the networks themselves rather than the entry point through an emergency call-taking centre such as Australia’s Triple Zero system, or, more appropriately, the next-generation system that will integrate into this environment. Indeed, Australian authorities have the opportunity to learn from both the UK and German approaches and from our other international colleagues before investment and policy decisions are made regarding public safety mobile broadband in Australia.

To some extent the approach taken towards development of broadband networks depends on the availability of funding. A key benefit in leveraging a public or commercial network is that it can be delivered earlier and at lower cost. Some speakers highlighted concerns about commercial networks in the wake of recent network outages during key events in Europe.

For example, the March 2016 terrorist attack on the Brussels airport resulted in the perceived localised failure of the ASTRID communications network used by emergency services. Although further investigations have identified that the ASTRID network suffered from capacity-related problems rather than a failure, this event highlighted the value of Wi-Fi hotspots and the use of DMO options for local communications when there is a network capacity problem during a major event. To counter these concerns, an additional benefit of using a commercial network — or at least elements of it — is that the public will quickly detect problems regarding coverage and capacity.

Regardless of the approach taken there will be a need to develop a robust and effective business continuity plan, since all technologies and all networks are at risk of failure. For instance, Victoria’s Emergency Management Operational Communications Program seeks to lever additional value out of existing state-owned infrastructure. Perhaps these types of strategies could also look at how existing assets can be used to reinforce the business continuity arrangements for public safety communications — for instance, where a commercial mobile network based on a ‘first principles’ approach could be used to develop an Australian Public Safety Broadband Network in line with the Productivity Commission’s analysis.

Next generation

There was also some debate on 4G versus 5G and the timing of when mobile broadband network investments should be implemented. While there was no final answer agreed upon, there was a general agreement that the 5G standard will emerge in stages. During this evolution, elements of the 4G standard will still be used in the 5G standard, just as earlier standards were used during the development of the 4G standard. Based on this concept there was strong support for commencing investment without delay using today’s existing standards, but allowing for the gradual upgrade to new and emerging 5G standards.

What remained unspoken in these discussions was a more detailed consideration of the actual technical assumptions for those standards. For example, 2G, 3G and 4G standards have been designed by Europeans for densely populated European countries, but Telstra has had to adapt these technologies to suit the conditions of Australia’s vast, sparsely populated environment.

It is essential that all stakeholders within the Australian radiocommunications sector, including the ACMA, ARCIA and vendors, lobby to ensure that decisions on standardisation by groups such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Study Group 13, and decisions made at the World Radiocommunications Conference in 2019, provide solutions and outcomes that are appropriate for Australia’s conditions as well as those of the European environment.

It was interesting to note that the area of least discussion during the conference related to the actual applications and data that would be supported by the new and emerging networks. Timo Harju from Airbus Defence and Space gave an excellent presentation on communications within the healthcare sector, and it helped contextualise some of the discussions on the technical design and business model options.

For me, the key take-home message is that, in terms of public safety communications, we need to develop an innovative and holistic business model to guarantee that we can take advantage of new and emerging technologies to ensure that we enhance our service delivery to the Australian community. While the total investment in Australia’s public safety communications ecosystem is unknown, analysis by the University of Melbourne has shown that the combined value of that investment across the nation is approximately $2 billion. At a jurisdictional level there is also a significant ongoing expenditure. For example, Victoria’s Emergency Management Operational Communications Program outlines an annual cost of more than $150 million in operational communications systems to support emergency management activities.

So the new business model will involve significant capital and operational expenditure at a national and jurisdictional level.

Unfortunately, there is no common solution or model, so we need to learn from each other as we ask, “What is the ‘best fit’ to meet the contextual needs of our own public safety communications ecosystem within Australia?” During this process there is a critical need for stakeholders to be highly engaged in the discussions and developments underway here in Australia and overseas. Being actively involved with the ACMA, including responding to its various reviews and papers, is a vital step in this engagement. Similarly, the participation in industry associations like ARCIA and attendance at communications conferences are essential strategies to help in this journey.

By doing this, vendors and decision-makers can keep abreast of the latest trends, developments and opportunities occurring at both a national and an international level.

Ged Griffin is an Inspector in the State Emergencies and Security Command of Victoria Police. He is also Manager of the Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety at the University of Melbourne.

Images courtesy Motorola Solutions.

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