

Modernizing mission critical communications systemsĭuring a crisis event, communications between different stakeholders are essential, from the general public to the Call & Dispatch centers and all the relevant public safety entities. The availability of new technology, such as drones, robots, AIVs, video-images, AR/VR, AI and IoT devices, along with new network technology generations (i.e., LTE/5G etc.), has the potential to drastically enhance the situational awareness and overall efficiency of operations. Natural disasters, too, damage communications infrastructures and, with the frequency and magnitude of such crises increasing, emergency services often struggle with a lack of reliable communication. Global crises, such as terrorist attacks, have shown how quickly current communications networks become saturated.

Why are current systems becoming obsolete? In this report we provide an overview of the current mission critical communications landscape and offer clear recommendations to support authorities in their transformation journey towards mobile broadband solutions. There are radical choices and significant investments to make that nonetheless present a window of opportunity to organize and implement a more up-to-date, performant, reliable, efficient, and future-proof mission critical communication approach. The necessary shift in technology and user behavior that this evolution implies is a major challenge for public safety decision makers. Enhancing operational efficiency with new technology
