Welcome
NOVEMBER 2019
Looking back –
and forwards
Critical Communications Today editor Sam Fenwick highlights the
achievements of TCCA and the critical communications industry,
together with the push for further innovation
As you may have noticed by the changed logo on our front cover, this is
a very special time for the industry given that it is 25 years since TCCA
was founded as the TETRA MoU Association. For more on this, see our
coverage on page 9 and a Q&A with Tony Gray on page 24. It’s worth highlighting
its work in concert with that of its members and other stakeholders to get missioncritical
features standardised in 3GPP – which will serve as a strong foundation for
our industry as we move into the broadband era.
It’s also important to take a moment to recognise the huge strides the critical comms
industry has made in this time, particularly the unceasing work by manufacturers
to provide the incremental improvements in technology that have given rise to the
high battery life, coverage, reliability and functionality that critical comms users
all over the world enjoy. No less worthy of recognition are the incredible efforts by
engineers across the world to roll out nationwide digital public safety networks in so
many countries, no matter what the
It’s also important
elements tried to throw at them or how
to take a moment
unforgiving the terrain.
Speaking of inhospitable
to recognise the huge
environments, Barry Mansfield’s piece
strides the critical comms
on Russia (in addition to its recent
industry has made
critical comms projects) on page 10
in this time
takes a look at how drones are coming
to the aid of Siberia’s oil and gas industry, which – with no small irony – is
reeling from the impact of climate change in the form of thawing permafrost.
Of course, the critical comms industry isn’t resting on the laurels of past victories
and the flow of innovation continues (as you’ll see in my article on handheld
terminals on page 32), albeit focused on hybrid devices and broadband services.
Speaking of which, Motorola Solutions has included virtual agent capabilities in its
new P25/LTE device and it will be interesting to see how enthusiastically public safety
users embrace its capabilities, given their need for eyes-up, hands-free operation.
It’s no surprise that 5G and its potential value to critical communications has
been a hot topic, particularly on the conference circuit. However, there is still some
confusion, so Charlotte Hathway (our new deputy editor) and I have tried to clarify
matters on page 17. Charlotte has taken to critical comms like a duck to water and I
hope you’ll extend a warm welcome to her when you see her.
Sam Fenwick, editor
MISSION STATEMENT
Critical Communications Today
provides the global missioncritical
community with insight
into the latest technology
and best practice required
to ensure that its members
always have access to the
instant, one-to-many wireless
communications that can make
all the difference in moments
of crisis.
We are dedicated to providing
our readers with the knowledge
they need when determining
their critical communications
strategies and procurements,
though delivering up-to-theminute
accurate information on
industry trends, developments,
and deployments, as well as
the latest new products and
services. Our journalists are
committed to easing out the
little details from your peers
that will allow you to draw
on the industry’s collective
experience of deploying and
implementing new projects
and systems.
We work to stimulate and
focus debates on the topics
that matter most and provide
our readers with a means to
raise their concerns and speak
frankly about their work and
the lessons they’ve learned
while delivering the devices and
networks that the world’s blue
light organisations depend on.
4 www.criticalcomms.com November 2019
/www.criticalcomms.com