Mission-critical broadband: Collaboration, AI, and the future of public safety

Mission-critical broadband: Collaboration, AI, and the future of public safety

Is public safety communication facing a technology problem, or a culture problem? The world of first-responder communication is undergoing its most radical transformation in decades. We are moving away from purely voice-centric, dedicated narrowband systems like TETRA and stepping into an information-centric, broadband-driven reality. But are our organisations, legal frameworks, and frontline cultures truly ready for it? In this episode of Making Waves, hosts Stuart Will and Lone Hansen sit down with industry veteran Tero Pesonen to preview the critical themes driving the upcoming Critical Communications World (CCW) event in London. Tero shares his visionary outlook on why AI is the ultimate companion to prevent next-gen operations from remaining "science fiction," how the roadmap to 6G must be built entirely on society-level trust, and why traditional TETRA still holds a vital, resilient place in the future of critical networks. Key talking points: * The power of one voice: Why a niche sector must collaborate closely to ensure commercial 4G, 5G, and 6G technologies serve public safety needs. * The three pillars of transition: The distinct hurdles that engineers, politicians, and frontline users must clear to successfully roll out nationwide broadband networks. * AI as the enabler: How automated network resilience and sensor fusion are shifting the industry paradigm from being "technology-limited" to "culture-limited." * The roadmap to 2036: A look at the emerging European Critical Communication System (EUCCS) and what it means for cross-border missions. * The longevity of TETRA: Why narrowband isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and how it fits into a multi-technology future. About: Tero Pesonen, Vice-Chair of TCCA & Chair of the Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG) Tero Pesonen is a globally recognised leader in the critical communications sector. Having joined the industry in 1997 during the pioneering days of TETRA, Tero dedicated his early career to turning it into a globally interoperable, multi-vendor standard. Today, as the Vice-Chair of the Critical Communications Association (TCCA) and Chair of the Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG), he focuses on uniting the global value chain to successfully transition public safety, disaster relief, and critical enterprises into the next era of 3GPP-based broadband (4G, 5G, and 6G).

TETRA today, tomorrow, and beyond: Inside the work of the TETRA Industry Group

TETRA today, tomorrow, and beyond: Inside the work of the TETRA Industry Group In the era of next-gen broadband and LTE, it is easy to focus entirely on emerging tech. But on the front lines of heavy industry and public safety, perception rarely matches operational reality. This week on Making Waves, we step inside the global strategy rooms of the critical communications ecosystem to explore how private, dedicated networks are changing, adapting, and growing. Far from being a static technology, the international community is actively investing in new enhancements - integrating everything from cutting-edge cybersecurity protocols to artificial intelligence. What you’ll discover in this conversation: * The 15-year horizon: Why global migration strategies are built on a bedrock of long-term hybrid coexistence. * Defending the spectrum: How the industry is strategically addressing frequency spectrum pressures and navigating international ITU allocations to protect critical users. * The total cost of ownership: How manufacturers are using AI to optimise power consumption and efficiency on the network side for decades to come. * Untapped potential: Why standard telemetry, SCADA applications, and user location services mean you don't always need a broadband pipe to achieve smart network operations. "You have to pick up the best of every technology to build the best possible solution, not just limiting yourself to one."   Timeline: 00:00 Pre-roll episode teaser 01:16 Show intro & guest introduction 02:16 Welcome & the role of the TIG 05:11 Market reality vs. perception 07:53 Standards, cyber threats & encryption 13:16 TETRA for industrial & dedicated users 17:55 The hybrid ecosystem: Complement over competition 20:48 Innovation & the strategic 10-year future 28:04 The quick-fire round 30:31 Wrap-up & sign-off     Featured guest Francesco Pasquali | Chair of the TCCA TETRA Industry Group (TIG) Francesco has spent three decades shaping the critical communications landscape. Alongside his strategic leadership at Leonardo Cyber and Security Solutions and his seat on the TCCA Board, he chairs the TIG - the core business strategy group representing international industry leaders (including Leonardo, Motorola, Airbus, DAMM and Teltronic) to align standards, priorities, and end-user needs globally.

Spotlight on Brazil : From designed need to delivery

Making critical communications work in the real world. Designing a system is one thing; making it perform reliably under pressure is another. In this episode of Making Waves, we turn the spotlight on Brazil where vast geography and extreme industrial demands reveal what truly determines the success of mission-critical communications.  Joining us is Matheus B. Silva, COO of Alcon Engenharia de Sistemas and Kofre Tecnologia, to share hard-won lessons from the intersection of engineering, business reality, and human trust. Drawing on his experience managing hundreds of thousands of users across Brazil’s most challenging environments, Matheus unpacks: * Engineering decisions that impact long-term reliability – Why the infrastructure surrounding the tech is often the weakest link.  * Deployment and operational challenges – Navigating the "2-year rule" and the realities that only surface after go-live.  * Cost of ownership and lifecycle thinking – How high interest rates and operational scale are shifting the industry toward "Hardware as a Service."   * User adoption and trust – Why earning the confidence of the person holding the radio is as vital as the signal itself.  * Preparing systems for future evolution – How to bridge the "hybrid decade" between legacy LMR and the promise of LTE.   This is a conversation packed with practical insights and a vital reminder that the real test of any communications system begins long after deployment.   Timeline: 00:00:00 Key highlights 00:01:15 Introduction and guest welcome 00:02:18 Company overview: Alcon-Kofre & D1 Capital 00:03:35 The Brazilian context: Success & strategy 00:05:07 Engineering realities: Power & infrastructure 00:07:11 Business model: Hardware as a Service (HaaS) 00:14:52 The human element: Building user trust 00:17:42 The future: Hybrid networks & LTE 00:21:11 Rapid-fire round 00:27:10 Wrap-up & closing   About: Matheus B. Silva is the COO of Alcon Engenharia de Sistemas and Kofre Tecnologia. A leader at the forefront of the "Hardware as a Service" (HaaS) model, he and his team support over 850,000 subscribers across 8,000 networks, delivering vital communication lifelines to the largest mining and energy players in Latin America.

From data to decisions: AI in critical communications

Discover how AI enhances critical communications, boosting situational awareness, decision support, and operational resilience while keeping humans in control and systems safe, secure, and trusted. Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering mission-critical environments - but how can it create real value for the people operating critical communications systems every day? In this episode, we speak with Paras Kulkarni and Walter Bensing from IrisNet about the practical application of AI in critical communications and mission-critical operations. Rather than exploring AI as a theoretical concept, the discussion focuses on operational impact: improving situational awareness, supporting human decision-making and strengthening resilience in environments where reliability and trust are essential. We explore how AI helps transform large volumes of visual data into actionable insight, how human-AI collaboration enhances safety, and why trust, ethics and transparency are fundamental when deploying AI in critical infrastructure. In this episode, we cover: • AI for situational awareness • Decision support systems • Human–AI interaction in mission-critical operations • Safety, trust and ethical AI deployment • AI in critical infrastructure environments • Operational resilience through intelligent systems A grounded conversation that cuts through the AI hype to explore where artificial intelligence genuinely delivers value in mission-critical communications, becomes a trusted operational tool - supporting people, strengthening systems and reinforcing operations where failure is not an option. Timeline: 00:03:14 Introduction: AI in critical communications 00:04:38 AI as decision support and situational awareness 00:07:08 Human control, trust and legal responsibility 00:09:54 Protecting personnel and critical infrastructure 00:11:48 How AI vision systems work in practice 00:12:50 Managing complexity and reducing false alarms 00:16:01 Integration, deployment and real-world use cases 00:17:13 Trust, security, compliance and ethics 00:23:15 Rapid-fire insights: myths, risks and opportunities 00:27:11 Future outlook and closing remarks   About IrisNet IrisNet GmbH is a Germany-based AI company specialising in visual computing and real-time image and video analysis. Its technology enables organisations to interpret live video streams, detect events and support operational decisions while keeping data processing secure and aligned with strict privacy requirements. IrisNet focuses on practical AI solutions designed for real-world industrial, safety and critical communication use cases. Learn more about Irisnet: https://irisnet.de/

Leading the mission: How TCCA shapes the future of critical communications worldwide

The connectivity fabric: Balancing trusted voice with broadband TCCA CEO Kevin Graham explores the global evolution of mission-critical standards, the multi-decade longevity of TETRA, and the strategic roadmap for agencies transitioning to MCX and hybrid broadband environments. When the mission can’t fail, the technology can’t either. But as the world moves from traditional narrowband to data-rich broadband, how do we ensure that the "trusted voice" of a first responder never disappears? In this episode of Making Waves, we sit down with Kevin Graham to unpack the complex global shift in mission-critical communications. Kevin provides a masterclass on why open standards are the only way to navigate a future where LMR, LTE, and even satellite connectivity must coexist. We dive deep into: * The "connectivity fabric": Why Kevin believes agencies shouldn't just look at hardware, but at a unified architecture that works across any network. * TETRA’s long horizon: Why narrowband isn’t going away anytime soon and why industry leaders are still investing heavily in its R&D. * The reality of MCX: Identifying the real "readiness gaps" in mission-critical broadband - from device ecosystems to user training. * Global lessons: How regions like France, Finland, South Korea, and the US are pathfinding the transition to hybrid networks. Whether you are in public safety, transport, or utilities, this conversation offers a strategic roadmap for balancing the reliability of the past with the functionality of the future. Listen in for a high-impact look at the technology that keeps the world’s protectors connected. Timeline:  0:00 Intro: Welcome to Making Waves 01:01 Meet Kevin Graham: 30 years of critical comms 02:23 The global state: Narrowband vs. data-centric futures 05:27 Why open standards matter: Multi-vendor ecosystems 07:12 The predictability of interoperability: Lessons from TETRA 08:32 The reality of MCX: Training, workflows, and readiness 10:03 Defining the "connectivity fabric": Governance & architecture 11:29 Global trends: Pathfinding in Korea, Finland, and the US 14:54 Spectrum: Securing the "oxygen" for mission-critical data 18:38 TETRA's longevity: Why industry is still investing in R&D 22:04 Sustainability & scale: Partnering with mobile operators 23:43 Successes & gaps: Lessons from FirstNet and others 27:07 Human-centric Tech: Adapting workflows for MCX 29:54 Strategic advice: A roadmap for national agencies 31:19 The TCCA community: Collaboration over competition 32:50 Upcoming 2026 events: CCW, BAPCO, and more 35:10 Episode recap: The path to a harmonised future About the guest With over 30 years of international experience, Kevin Graham is a global authority on mission-critical systems. As the CEO of TCCA, he leads the world’s premier association for standardised critical communications. Kevin has held senior engineering and executive roles across the APAC region, the USA, and Europe, playing a pivotal role in driving the open standards that secure public safety, transport, and utilities worldwide. His expertise bridges the gap between the reliable radio networks of today and the 5G and satellite innovations of tomorrow. Learn more about The Critical Communications Association - TCCA [https://tcca.info/] Links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DammVideoChannel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/damm-cellular-systems