Drones, private 5G, NZ Public Safety Network and more...

The countdown is well and truly on until the 2022 edition of Comms Connect Melbourne, the Southern Hemisphere’s premier critical communications and public safety event, set to be held in person for the first time since 2019 from 18–20 October.

The conference will welcome a keynote presentation and expert panel from New Zealand’s newly formed Public Safety Network. The Public Safety Network is the new communications service that will be used by New Zealand’s frontline emergency services responders — Fire and Emergency, Police, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance.

One of the leads in this integration project is Neal Richardson from NZ Police, who will be one of two keynotes to open the program for Comms Connect Melbourne on 20 October. His colleagues from PSN NZ will join him in a panel discussion at the event to cover lessons learnt and positive outcomes so far achieved by the project. The second keynote speaker for 20 October is Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons from Resilience NSW, who will speak on the timely subject of the future of disaster management.

NSW Telco Authority Managing Director Kylie De Courteney will deliver the opening keynote on 19 October, following her recent presentation at Critical Communications World in Vienna in June; while the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications, will formally open the event. The second keynote for 19 October will feature the CTO of the First Responders Network USA, Richard Reed, with an update on all things related to public safety comms from the other side of the Pacific.

Other conference sessions will feature: the use of drones for mission-critical applications and tower management; the cybersecurity implications and management challenges of IT/OT/IoT; updates from the DMR Association and the ACMA; 5G private networks; turning black spots into bright spots — a satellite technology panel session; Surf Life Saving NSW’s new ops centre; and much more. To view the full conference program, visit https://melbourne.comms-connect.com.au/program/.

The co-located exhibition will meanwhile feature over 80 local and international vendors — headlined by event partner Nokia and platinum sponsors Hypha and Simoco Wireless Solutions — giving attendees the chance to get up close and personal with leading suppliers and their latest products.

With so much having changed in the world of critical communications since 2019, Comms Connect Melbourne provides a great opportunity to get back in the loop and connect with industry peers from near and far. Register now at https://melbourne.comms-connect.com.au/.

Image credit: iStock.com/TkKurikawa