05 November 2024

Duncan Swan, Chief Operating Officer, British APCO

When achieving percentage mobile network coverage in the mid to high 50s is something to be proud of then you know that it is going to take innovative solutions to be able to communicate everywhere. And critical communication relies on connectivity wherever an incident occurs, and emergency responders are sent to work and provide help. Having just returned from Australia this is exactly the scenario faced with both self-contained government LMR solutions and commercial networks unable to provide connectivity across mass swathes of the landmass.

It’s not a new problem; but it is one where we are seeing great leaps in the available technology to help overcome rural coverage challenges. With the latest smart devices providing the ability to get an SOS message delivered using satellite where there is no mobile network or WiFi available – Apple in partnership with GlobalStar and Google launching in the United States with Skylo – then it is imperative that those responding to the emergency message can do so effectively with comms they can rely on.

There are a host of solutions that provide fixed coverage extension – be that because of infrastructure outages, additional network demand, or beyond the edge of the normal coverage footprint. Rapid Response Vehicles provide temporary coverage in the UK for the Airwave and ESN solutions; the ubiquitous CoW – or Cell on Wheels – is rolled out in Australia; and tethered drones do the job in the United States – in essence flying CoWs.

But there is an emerging concept of VaaNs – or a Vehicle as a Node solution. VaaN is a cloud-based technology solution that turns a vehicle into a communications hub for mission-critical operations. And it is used by emergency agencies to improve communication and operational efficiency helping reduce service interruptions by bringing several bearers together – essentially it puts high-speed data and reliable communications into the hands of those who need it most – whenever and wherever they need it. Ericsson succinctly identify that the question of “Do I have connectivity?” quickly transitions to “What do I have access to?”

“With the latest smart devices providing the ability to get an SOS message delivered using satellite where this is no mobile network or WiFi available then it is imperative that those responding to the emergency message can do so effectively with comms they can rely on.”

Whilst out in Australia I was particularly taken by a project that the New South Wales government was facilitating for the Rural Fire Service – and being delivered by relative new kids on the block, Hypha. Their company raison d’être stemmed from the simple observation that, for many years, progress in mobile technology in Australia was stagnant. With little investment into updating the ageing analogue terrestrial network outside of key metropolitan areas, poor coverage and outdated physical infrastructure, there were very few if any means to stay connected.

The rapid investment in LEO satellites – and their deployment in significant numbers by the likes of Starlink – finally provided the antithesis to the perceived stagnation, in those hard to communicate with rural areas. The NSW government sought to find a cost-effective means of solving the statewide conundrum of ubiquitous voice and mobile broadband coverage – the Vehicle as a Node solution combines Starlink satellite services and 4G & 5G mobile data onto an IP mesh network supporting LMR, location services, and other mobile device connectivity. And work has already started to roll out the VaaN solution to around 5,000 NSW Rural Fire vehicles of all shapes and sizes.

Of course, there may be challenges ahead – the choice of Starlink supports the goals of being cost effective, scalable and quick to deploy. It is renowned for constantly changing parameters – by way of example, a recent change in satellite altitude brought about a much-needed 6dB improvement in signal budget but there’s no knowing just what may change next! Satellite connectivity relies upon line-of-sight to the satellite antenna; mobile communications require a different array of antennas; and the bringing together of the various communication networks clever router design and engineering. A key tenet of the VaaN solution is cost effective simplicity that is easy to deploy – and bringing all the technical elements together in a single roof mounted unit that includes the Starlink antenna helps achieve this.

There’s no doubt that, in the not-too-distant future, we will see similar implementations closer to home as we look to take percentage mobile network coverage as close to 100% as is possible for networks supporting critical communications – without breaking the bank or compromising reliability and security.

Well, this is my last Talking Critical column – at least for the time being – and I’ve enjoyed exploring a wide range of topics that fall under this banner; I do hope that my musings have, if nothing else, given you a little something extra to think about.