CCW 2022 speaker interview: Tim Clark

Tim Clark from Motorola Solutions discusses the cybersecurity challenges facing mission-critical broadband solutions
CCW 2022 speaker interview: Tim Clark
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What will you be speaking about at CCW 2022? Why is that an important topic?

Many organisations across the mission critical sector are in the process of, or planning for, the deployment of mission-critical broadband solutions to increase the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of first responders and mobile workers.

Deployment and management of these new broadband applications presents complex challenges for user organisations and operators. To guide users and operators towards successful deployment and management, TCCA has recently published a white paper on mission critical broadband applications. The white paper also highlights some of the key considerations for developers of mission-critical applications.  I will be presenting the findings of our white paper during the Mission Critical Broadband Focus Forum - on day two of the CCW event.

What are the key messages that you would like people to take away after attending your conference session?

Regarding my presentation in the Mission Critical Broadband Focus Forum, the findings of the Mission Critical Broadband Applications white paper include the importance of a standards-based strategy to ensure interoperability and multi-vendor choice, the need for mission critical network operators to understand users' requirements, as well as for application developers to design their solutions for the demanding environments in which PPDR users operate. Effective application management is also critical to a successful MC application strategy, to control the distribution, monitoring, maintenance and revocation of all of the users’ applications. Finally, PPDR operators must conduct extensive validation and testing with users before fully deploying MC applications and throughout their lifecycle within the environment in which the MC applications will be used.

Regarding my presentation the TETRA Focus Forum, cyber attacks pose a growing threat to mission-critical users and network operators around the world. While TETRA is recognised as a highly secure and resilient technology, we cannot be complacent. This presentation offers guidance on how to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks, with practical advice for strengthening protection around your TETRA network.

What do you see as being the big issues and challenges for the sector over the next five years?

The big challenge for the sector over the next five years will be the successful deployment of true mission critical broadband services. As with TETRA systems today, broadband networks must be resilient, reliable, available and, above all, trusted by the users.

As the early adopters are finding, deployment and management of mission critical broadband services is highly complex, with many important considerations, including interoperability, delivering mission critical services over commercial networks, applications and device management, and more.

What will be the most transformative development in terms of the technology? What will that development mean for user operations, as well as the broader market? 

Broadband communication systems, in combination with mass video and smart analytics and assisted management in the control room, will mean significant improvements in first responder and mobile worker effectiveness, efficiency and safety.

What should be the number one priority for the sector going into the future?

The need for mission critical communications is as strong as ever – natural disasters such as flooding and wildfires and geopolitical crises mean that we must continue to ensure mission critical communications remain trusted, always and everywhere.

Critical Communications World 2022 takes place between 21-23 June at the Messe Vienna, Austria

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