Critical Comms Jan/Feb 2014 by Westwick-Farrow Media

ON THE COVER

Formerly Radio Comms Asia-Pacific

Inside 4

January/February 2014

Transmit With the increasing popularity and reliance on

Calendar

wireless voice and data services, subscribers now expect to have coverage at anytime, anywhere and

Radio’s role in M2M

Smart software battles natural disasters

Comms Connect a critical success

Industry Talking

Broadcast news

Backhaul

Spectrum

so service providers have to extend coverage and/ or increase capacity within non-coverage areas. This has been traditionally accomplished by adding new macro cell towers; however TE’s FlexWave Prism offers service providers a flexible, small form factor solution that can extend coverage and capacity where needed without the need for new towers. The solution also offers support for the increasing number of protocols and frequencies available today and in the future. FlexWave Prism is a compact radio head for macro gap coverage that supports up to four frequencies delivering high-performance coverage with end-to-end management. The FlexWave Prism enhances wireless networks in outdoor locations and large venues easily and cost-effectively. The Prism improves wireless network coverage and capacity by extending services from existing cell sites, to hard-to-reach areas by distributing coverage from a centralised radio suite. Utilising a centralised distributed architecture, service providers are able to recognise significant CAPEX/OPEX savings through a shared Base Station Hotel (multiple BTS co-located), as well as a shared Remote Radio Transceiver approach The Prism’s flexibility and scalability offers service providers an optimal solution for multiple applications such as; dense urban centres, dense suburban areas, campuses, enterprise buildings,

NOW in DIGITAL!

subways and tunnels. The Prism’s distributed architecture and

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small form factor allows service providers to

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cost-effectively increase coverage and capacity in these hard-to-reach areas.

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TE Connectivity www.te.com

Transmit The recent Comms Connect conference in Melbourne was a roaring success, setting new records for the number of attendees, speakers and exhibitors. The lecture and workshop sessions were full-on and the exhibition hall was packed. I had a great time meeting lots of industry participants for the first time and enjoyed learning about their businesses and activities. At the conference, we launched the magazine’s new name and branding, and I’m pleased to report that the reception was entirely positive. Everyone recognises that the industry is changing and broadening (which can only be a good thing), and so the title Critical Comms better reflects that evolution.

Calendar March 2014 What: TETRA in South East Asia 2014 When: 4-6 March 2014 Where: Taipei and Manila Website: tandcca.com/PageRender/events/eventshome.htm What: International Wireless Communications Expo 2014 When: 24-28 March 2014 Where: Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas, Nevada Website: iwceexpo.com

April 2014 What: 2014 APCO Australasia Conference and Expo When: 29 April - 1 May 2014 Where: Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, Melbourne Website: apcoaust.com.au/2014

At the conference it was announced that a second, satellite conference is to be held in Sydney in 2014. Comms Connect Sydney will take place at Australian Technology Park in the inner city over 18-19 June and will enable many of those unable for whatever reason to get to Melbourne, to catch up on workshops, speakers and networking opportunities. It promises to be a great event. Of course, the main Comms Connect will still be held in Melbourne, and this year it will be at the end of September (30 Sep-2 Oct) instead of November. I’m looking forward to a great year in the critical communications industry. In particular, it will be interesting to see some of the new technologies coming along - some that we already know about and no doubt others that are presently under wraps. If your company or agency is doing something that you feel should be broadcast to a wide audience, please get in touch -

May 2014 What: Utilities Telecom Council Telecom 2014 When: 6-9 May 2014 Where: Phoenix, Arizona Website: utc.org/sites/UTCTELECOM2014 What: 2014 RFUANZ Conference & Exhibition When: 15-16 May 2014 Where: Wellington, New Zealand Website: rfuanz.org.nz/2014-rfuanz-conference--exhibition.html What: Critical Communications World When: 27-29 May 2014 Where: Bangkok, Thailand Website: criticalcommunicationsworld.com/

especially if you have a case study or revolutionary product, we’d

June 2014

like to hear about it.

What: Comms Connect 2014 When: 18-19 June 2014 Where: Australian Technology Park, Sydney Website: comms-connect.com.au

Jonathan Nally, Editor cc@westwick-farrow.com.au

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RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M Stephen Jenkins and Andy Grimmett, Simoco Group

What roles should cellular and PMR communications play as data bearers within the machine-to-machine networks?

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achine-to-machine (M2M) technology has firmly established itself at the operational heart of many industries and continues to offer an array of capabilities - including remote monitoring, tracking and configuration - that ultimately will drive efficiencies and better cost management. Entry costs have lowered and a fullscale charge into M2M technologies is well underway. M2M is now fully integrated into areas such as remote monitoring, location tracking, remote control/automation (SCADA) and asset tracking. It is forecast that the number of M2M device connections will grow to 2.1 billion by 2021. These increases will be fuelled by all sectors, but utilities, manufacturing, primary industries such as mining and those using in-vehicle telematics will take a lead. Although cost saving is of vital importance, another interesting driver for the adoption of M2M networks is that they can enable new ways of working, and indeed completely new business models. M2M is therefore becoming an integral part of how many businesses operate, by providing new and enhanced processes that can improve the levels of service delivered to customers.

Drivers for M2M A key driver for the adoption of M2M solutions is that M2M enables the automatic monitoring of remote assets, regardless of their location and environmental conditions. By automating remote monitoring, utilities can greatly reduce their maintenance and administration costs, by significantly cutting down on the number of site visits by maintenance engineers. Scheduling regular site visits to perform routine checks on equipment is time-consuming and expensive, especially if the equipment in question is in a remote location. In addition, a site visit only checks the equipment status at a particular point in time. With M2M solutions, equipment can be automatically monitored continuously, and so gradual changes in the status and performance of assets can be checked, so that proactive maintenance of equipment can be scheduled at a time when minimum disruption and inconvenience to customers and the general public can be guaranteed.

Of course, connecting devices alone is not enough; M2M systems also require the ability to use the data collected, through software applications that monitor and trigger activity; for example, by integrating the data into an existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to track and manage business resources. If you are not measuring a process, you cannot manage it. But simply collecting data is not enough - communication with remote assets costs money in terms of airtime. Customers seldom like paying for airtime alone, but they will pay for guaranteed service levels in terms of reduced outages and tailored transaction services. One example of M2M solutions turning maintenance and fault resolution from a reactive task to a proactive process can be found in the natural resource sector. Pipelines transporting crude oil and other environmentally hazardous materials, such as natural gas or petrol, may cover vast distances, across remote landscapes. Crude oil is corrosive, and that, coupled with the natural environmental degradation of the pipeline material over time, means that leaks can occur. Without remote monitoring, a leak may not be noticed straight away, especially if the pipeline is buried, resulting in loss of revenue, inability to service customers’ requirements and a potential environmental catastrophe. If M2M equipped sensors are placed at strategic intervals along the pipeline, it becomes possible to continuously monitor the thickness of the pipeline wall over time, and to establish the rate of change of the pipeline’s mechanical integrity. The probability of a leak in a particular section of pipeline can be automatically determined within the M2M environment, allowing that section to be shut down before any leak occurs. Preventative repairs can be scheduled before any loss of resources or environmental damage takes place. Regulations often punish serious environmental pollution with heavy fines, in addition to loss of resources and clean-up costs, so turning maintenance from a reactive to a proactive process makes a compelling business case for an M2M solution. In the case of utilities, keeping customers on supply is a key performance indicator. Customers expect gas, electric-

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RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M

Figure 1.

ity and water to be available on demand at all times of the day. In the UK, the most recent energy capacity assessments from energy regulator Ofgem suggest that margins in electricity and gas are potentially falling to low levels. Ofgem’s current assessment is that the risks to electricity security of supply will increase during the next five winters. Part of this is being driven by the ongoing reduction in electricity supplies from older coal-fired generation plants. In the UK, many of these older power stations are being forced to close as a result of carbon reduction targets mandated by The Climate Change Act 2008. Worldwide, 186 nations have ratified the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), responding to the long-term challenge of climate change and the contribution of greenhouse gas emissions from human sources. Coupled with increased demand for electricity from a growing population and the requirements from industry for sustainable low-cost power as a key enabler of growth, the strain on utility networks is set to increase, meaning that new solutions to ensure security of supply will be required. M2M systems can continuously monitor key assets on the distribution grid and utilities can set automatic alarms to anticipate or predict fault conditions, switch supply from other sources or schedule preventive maintenance before the supply situation becomes critical. An increase in the use of renewables, such as wind farms and solar energy, which

are less controllable and more unpredictable than traditional plant, will force us to reconsider how we satisfy our energy needs, and how power is provided and delivered. The increased use of renewables and a more distributed generation plant will require smart grid technology controlled and monitored by M2M systems, to ensure that power can be continuously and reliably delivered to customers.

Increasing regulation The move towards smart grid adoption and advanced metering infrastructure is also being driven by government regulation. In Sweden, for example, the government is mandating that utilities must be able to accurately read all of their customers’ meters once per month. This is driving the wholesale rollout of smart metering that depends on M2M solutions, often using wireless connectivity such as cellular and radio, to enable the two-way communications required. Other European countries are expected to follow suit, which will significantly accelerate the rollout of smart grids throughout Europe and beyond. Smart grids that enable generation of real-time billing applications - increasingly demanded by customers and regulators alike - will assist in driving down energy consumption and reduce energy waste.

Green technology M2M technology can be used for remote monitoring of the environmental conditions within buildings and campuses. Using M2M

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solutions it is possible for information to be automatically collected from a range of sensors, such as those that monitor light, temperature and humidity levels throughout a building. This data can be processed automatically, enabling local lighting, heating and ventilation controls to be adjusted, with individual devices capable of being automatically controlled remotely to reduce energy consumption, cut costs and maximise the environmental comfort for people in particular locations. For large buildings such as airports, shopping centres and university campuses, costs associated with lighting and heating are a major overhead, which have traditionally been difficult to control. M2M technology can automate this task, providing real savings that add directly to the building operator’s bottom line.

Equipment protection and worker safety With the remote monitoring and control of equipment it becomes possible to adjust the operational parameters of certain machines as soon as a potential problem is recognised. For example, a conveyor belt feeding rocks to a crusher in a quarry can be slowed down if the bearings on a drive motor are approaching the maximum recommended operating temperature, in order to prevent failure. A repair crew can then be dispatched to carry out maintenance and repair tasks, at a time most convenient to the operator.

Service levels and outages Companies can utilise M2M technology to ensure better, more appropriate or tailored service to customers by using remote monitoring to anticipate and respond to problems before they become a real issue for the customer. For example, monitoring sales activity and stock levels at a retail outlet, in real time, allows a retailer to anticipate potential stock shortage, thus improving customer satisfaction and preventing loss of sales. In many utility industries, the regulators impose penalties on network operators in

RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M

Figure 2.

the event of certain service outage conditions. In the UK, Ofgem sets the guaranteed standards that apply to individual customers and invoke penalty payments if the supplier does not meet these guidelines. The penalties involved depend on the nature and time of the supply outage and weather conditions, so it is vital for utilities to have reliable M2M technology in place, monitoring reports of faults on the network, so that repairs can be instigated in the shortest possible time. This minimises outages and reduces the level of penalties that the utility company may have to pay.

Cellular The majority of M2M communications are conducted using cellular GSM, as public networks using this standard are available in over 90% of the world. Telemetry devices for use on these networks are readily available and it is therefore relatively easy to deploy M2M communications using mobile phone networks as the data bearer. To further the case for cellular as an M2M solution, mobile phone technology has been increasing its data capabilities at a dramatic rate. When 2G (secondgeneration mobile) networks were first gaining popularity with the general public, it was primarily used for voice communications and, due to the cost, usually for only occasional or emergency use. However, it wasn’t long before text messages started to play a role in people’s day-to-day lives and it became the accepted norm as a means of communication. A staggering 20 billion text messages are now sent every day worldwide. 3G networks opened up a world of wireless data beyond the simple text message

Figure 3.

and delivered data speeds in excess of 200 Kbps, making it viable to ‘surf the internet’, stream video and provide a rich array of data-centric applications to smartphones. The 4G LTE networks now being rolled out will see data rates increase further to figures in the tens of megabits per second. These developments in cellular technology have not only increased data rates but have attracted a large customer base, which rose to 6.8 billion in 2013. However, while these data advances are headline grabbing and increasingly used by the general public, we need to ask if the same level of relevance applies to M2M and, in particular, within the utilities sector. In order to answer the question, we need to examine some of the key requirements that exist for most utilities.

Coverage, reliability and resilience The ability to provide high-speed wireless communications is useful only if the service can be provided reliably at the locations where it is needed. It is not widely understood how sparse mobile phone networks actually are, as the operators have built networks to provide coverage in densely populated areas. However, taking the UK as an example of a country heavily invested in public networks, Figure 1 shows there is surprisingly little geographical network coverage. Other countries around the world show similar or far less geographic coverage. It is essential that companies such as utilities have reliable wireless communications to 100% of their operational areas. The operational region of a utility company often includes large rural areas where there are few people but the potential for a significant

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number of assets that need to be monitored and maintained. M2M communications are vital in delivering data from remote assets to enable smart decision-making at times of need. It is therefore essential that the communications network chosen to deliver the data is always available. A power distribution company is at its busiest when storm conditions have caused damage to overhead power lines, interrupting the supply and leaving customers without power. The company needs to get data from the distribution network in order to make the right decisions to get customers back on the grid as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, it is frequently the case that the power interruption leaves sections of the mobile phone network without power, in turn affecting the utility company’s ability to make smart decisions through lack of remote data from the field. In addition, it is essential that wireless communications are always available in order to perform safety critical switching operations from the control centre to equipment in remote locations.

Contention, security and costs Related to the requirement above for reliability and resilience is the need for M2M data to always get through. The public access nature of mobile phone networks means that all users share the same level of priority, which at busy times will cause call contention. A good example of this can be demonstrated when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve and the cellular networks are congested with calls resulting in ‘network busy’ responses. More often, this kind of contention can be caused by

RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M everyday occurrences such as road traffic accidents severe weather conditions. everyday or occurrences such as road traffic accidents This lackorofsevere controlweather can be conditions. crippling to This lack control be crippling to a system thatofrelies on can assimilating data a system thatofrelies onlocations assimilating data from hundreds remote in order hundreds of remote locations in order tofrom make decisions. toThe make usedecisions. of public networks also presents Thesecurity use of public also presents certain risks.networks Measures need to be certain security risks. Measures need be taken to prevent hackers from gainingtoactaken to prevent hackers from gaining access to the system to read data from M2M cess toor thecontrol systemremote to readassets. data from M2M devices devices or control remote assets. By enabling communications capability By more enabling across end communications points, as well ascapability cellular across more points, as network, well as cellular data being sentend over a public there data being sent over public network, there are good reasons to aconsider the security are good reasons to consider the security implications of M2M. The recent news implications of M2M. TheResearch recent news that Berlin-based Security Labs that Berlin-based Security Research has been able to hack into SIM cards Labs will hasincrease been able hack on intosecurity SIM cards will only thetofocus threats only increase the focus on security threats within this area. within this area. The initial low investment cost in cellularThe initial low investment cost in cellularbased M2M solutions can seem attractive, based M2M solutions can seem attractive, but the long-term costs are very difficult to but the long-term costs are very difficult to establish, with rapidly changing technologies establish, with rapidly changing technologies and call charges presenting uncontrollable and call charges presenting uncontrollable factors into the budgeting equation. factors into the budgeting equation.

The Thecase casefor forradio radio

Private mobile radio (PMR) has been in Private mobile radio (PMR) has been in use since the 1950s, well before mobile use since the 1950s, well before mobile phones were thought of … despite the phones were thought of … despite the basic functionality being identical. As with basic functionality being identical. As with cellular, radio has gone through several cellular, radio has gone through several evolutions evolutionsand andnow nowdelivers deliversaarich richarray array of of voice and data services through a range voice and data services through a range of of digital digitalprotocols. protocols. Radio Radiosystems systemsare are designed designed toto be be frefrequency cient and quencyeffi efficient andtherefore thereforeoperate operatewithin within a anarrow narrowband bandofofradio radiospectrum. spectrum.While Whilethe the date daterates ratesofofradio radiowill will never never compare compare to to those thoseoffered offeredbybycellular cellularnetworks, networks,they they do do

satisfy all of the requirements of an M2M solution and the shortcomings of satisfy all of address the requirements of an M2M solution address the shortcomings of their GSMand counterparts. their GSMradio counterparts. Since systems are usually owned radioby systems are usuallythey owned andSince operated the enterprise, are and operated by the to enterprise, they are specifi cally designed fit the operational specifically designed to fit the operational requirements of the business. This starts requirements of the business. This with coverage planning to ensure thatstarts base with coverage planning to ensure that base sites are installed in strategic locations to sites are100% installed in strategic to achieve coverage acrosslocations the operaachieve 100% coverage across thedelivers operational environment. This effectively tional environment. effectively wireless voice andThis data servicesdelivers where wireless with voicenoand dataspots. services where required, black During this required,process, with no the black spots. will During this planning company identify planning process, the company will identify all of the locations where M2M devices will all of the locations where M2M devices will be required now and in the future to ensure be required now andisin supplied. the future to ensure that good coverage that good coverage is supplied. Latest-generation radio systems feature Latest-generation radio that systems feature a distributed architecture enables the a distributed architecture that enables system to continue to operate in the eventthe of system to continue to operate in the event of equipment failure. It is common for designs equipment failure. It is common for designs to specify no single point of failure, and to specify no single point of failure, and IP/Ethernet backbones are used between IP/Ethernet backbones are used between sites to ensure a resilient mesh backhaul sites to ensure a resilient mesh backhaul that will continue to deliver M2M data in that will continue to deliver M2M data in the event of any issues within the network. the event of any issues within the network. By its very definition, PMR networks are By its very definition, PMR networks are ‘private’ and therefore less vulnerable to se‘private’ and therefore less vulnerable to security threats than public networks. Added to curity threats than public networks. Added to this, the latest digital radio standards include this, the latest digital radio standards include high levels of protocol encryption for the high levels of protocol encryption for the levels of security demanded by our public levels of security demanded by our public safety services and government agencies. safety services and government agencies. Finally, predictFinally, radio radio systems systems provide provide aa predictable cost of ownership. Systems can be be able cost of ownership. Systems can designed to exact requirements and once designed to exact requirements and - once installed there are are no no installed at at the the budgeted budgeted cost cost -- there further upgrades further call call charges charges or or unexpected unexpected upgrades as rolled out. out. Radio Radio as new new technologies technologies are are rolled systems of between between systems have have typical typical life life spans spans of 10 suppliers 10 and and 15 15 years, years, and and equipment equipment suppliers

typically provide support and maintenance typically provide support and lifetime maintenance to customers over the entire of the to customers over the entire lifetime of theto system, although some customers opt system, although opt to engage their ownsome staff customers in the operational engage own staff in the operational support their of the network. support of the network. Organisations that have existing radio Organisationscan thatalso have existingmany radioof infrastructures leapfrog infrastructures can also leapfrog many of the basic pain points involving investment the basic pain points involving investment in network build by utilising the asset in build utilising the asset thatnetwork is already in by place. With these costs that is already in place. With coststs already accounted for, all of these the benefi already all at of athe benefits of M2M accounted are within for, reach much lower of M2M within reach a much lower level of are investment. Thisatmakes business level investment. This makes business case of justifi cation, implementation and time case justification, implementation and time to go-live faster and more straightforward. to go-live faster and more straightforward.

A lower-cost option? A lower-cost option? Businesses with no existing

mobile radio Businesses with noorexisting mobile radio system in place, the need to expand system in place, or the need to expand the coverage of an existing system, should the coverage of an existing system, should consider their requirements and whether consider their requirements and whether radio can fit the brief. This is especially radio can fit the brief. This is especially relevant in ‘off-grid’ locations where coverrelevant in ‘off-grid’ locations where coverage is required. age is required. With radio, you decide where the covWith radio, you decide where the coverage is needed and design the network erage is needed and design the network according to your requirements in terms according to your requirements in terms of capacity, coverage and capability. Radio of capacity, coverage and capability. Radio can get to places where public networks can get to places where public networks cannot go or, more realistically, do not go cannot go or, more realistically, do not go because there is no commercial rationale for because there is no commercial rationale for the investment. Examples of this might be the investment. Examples of this might be remote locations like mines or oil and gas remote locations like mines or oil and gas platforms. Radio Radio also also comes comes into intoits itsown own platforms. in the built environment, being able to cope in the built environment, being able to cope with tunnels tunnelsor orthe thebasement basementofofan anoffice officeoror with apartment block. Of course coverage isn’t apartment block. Of course coverage isn’t justlimited limitedto togeography; geography;cellular cellularsignals signalscan can just also be beaffected affectedby bycongestion, congestion,weather weatherand and also outages, all allof ofwhich whichmay maynegatively negativelyimpact impact outages, on the returns and levels of reliability on the returns and levels of reliability ofofa a cellular based based M2M M2Msystem, system,further furtheradding adding cellular to the argument for radio. to the argument for radio. In addition additionto tothe thesavings savingsavailable availablefrom from In sweating an existing asset or installing sweating an existing asset or installing a a new radio radio system, system,the theoperational operationalcosts costsofof new runningM2M M2Mover overPMR PMRare arelower. lower.There Thereare are running no data data transmission transmissioncosts costsinvolved involvedacross across no private radio radio systems, systems,and andexisting existingcapaccapacprivate ity can can be be utilised utilised toto carry carrythe theM2M M2Mdata. data. ity

A typical typical M2M M2M solution solution A

MANY UTILITIES HAVE RADIO SYSTEMS ACROSS THEIR NETWORKS ALREADY, AS MOBILE NETWORK COVERAGE CANNOT BE GUARANTEED IN REMOTE AREAS.

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M2M M2M solutions solutions can can be be complex; complex; accordaccording ing to to Analysys Analysys Mason, Mason, the the average averageM2M M2M solution solution will will involve involve between betweenfour fourand andsix six suppliers, suppliers, impacting impactingon ontime, time,levels levelsofofrisk risk and and project project management management requirements. requirements. Those Those organisations organisations with with existing existing radio radio partnerships benefit from working partnerships benefi t from working with with aa supplier supplier that that not not only only understands understandsthe the core core architecture architecture of of the theradio radiosystem, system,but but who who already already has has aa solid solid understanding understandingofof the the customer’s customer’sbusiness businessprocesses, processes,operaoperations tions and and strategic strategic requirements. requirements.AAsingle single

RADIO’S ROLE IN M2M point of contact has many benefits from purchasing, customer support and project management perspectives. M2M solutions consist of several key components that must work together reliably and provide the required data communications. The key elements within an M2M network are: • Connected device - the remote asset with which M2M communications is required. • RTU (remote terminal unit). • Firmware/communications protocol - it is important to ensure that M2M communications are reliable while at the same time minimising airtime usage and power consumption in remote assets where battery power is often required. • Data communications. • Server - required to process data and execute commands based on the data received and decision management software.

Real-world scenarios When considering radio within an M2M perspective, there are three basic options: using an existing radio network to implement an M2M solution; using radio to enhance or extend a converged M2M solution that has multiple comms bearers; or the installation of a radio network to enable M2M capability where cellular isn’t viable. As we have already explored, the scope of M2M is vast so let’s look at these different executions within a single context - the utilities sector. Many utilities have radio systems across their networks already, as mobile network coverage cannot be guaranteed in remote areas. As discussed, during emergencies, the 2G/3G network often become overloaded by other users, yet utilities need to maintain communications across their operations. This isn’t just nice to have; monitoring outages and restoring electrical power is vital after disasters. Utility companies need radio to support critical communications when there is no access to the emergency services’ network and the public cellular networks are in meltdown. This is recognised at the highest levels, with some governments considering mandates to enforce utilities to invest in radio, so they can maintain communications during emergency situations. The utilities sector, in common with the oil and gas industries, is moving away from periodic inspection to continuous remote monitoring. M2M enables this move as remote telemetry units can work 24/7 relaying data back to a central control room. So, rather than having major downtime for repairs, utilities will have minor planned outages for maintenance. In fact, government regulations on operational efficiency and environmental safety may force

companies to install reliable M2M systems, to monitor remote systems and anticipate power outages.

Using an existing PMR network If a utility company already has an existing radio infrastructure, then there is no requirement to invest further in developing additional networks to facilitate M2M. The simple addition of an M2M Gateway can turn an existing radio infrastructure into an M2M bearer network (Figure 2). The data rates are relatively low and in most industrial settings M2M does not require broadband systems, such as 4G/LTE. Using a radio network for M2M benefits the utility by exploiting an existing communications asset. The utility company can quickly, and with minimum investment and operational impact, generate savings through the integration of monitoring systems, asset tracking and security. The traffic on remote monitoring sensors is typically low bandwidth and so radio is an ideal and low-cost way of handling the transmission of data messages. Many bespoke M2M solutions have been developed for utility companies over the years; however, most customers wish to move to commercially available equipment for reasons of cost and long-term support, so capitalising on an existing asset such as a

radio system and using a set of standard technologies makes good economic sense. As we have discussed, cellular networks have limitations in terms of coverage - radio can fill in these gaps to enhance and extend existing M2M networks. M2M applications can therefore adopt a mixture of cellular and radio communications. Most sensors and RTUs are network agnostic, lending themselves perfectly to this blended approach. Figure 3 indicates how radio may be used to fill in coverage gaps in the operational area for a utility. The radio network used for voice may also be used to carry data traffic and is therefore ideal for M2M communications in areas where cellular network coverage does not exist. In summary, M2M networks are already vital to businesses in maximising the utilisation of assets and delivering improved customer service and solutions. The prolific availability of cellular will mean that this is the natural choice for many M2M solutions but M2M will also be delivered over multiple bearers including radio. In some industries such as utilities and natural resources, there will be a compelling argument for deploying M2M networks over radio. Simoco Australasia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V962

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Temperature scanner Fluke has introduced the 1586A Super-DAQ Precision Temperature Scanner which, with up to 40 analog input channels and scan rates as fast as 10 channels per second, is suitable for applications such as thermal mapping, process sensor calibration, quality-control testing, life-cycle testing, process monitoring and environmental testing. The device can measure thermocouples, platinum resistance thermometers (PRTs), thermistors, DC current, DC voltage and resistance, with measurement accuracy of ± 0.005°C for PRTs, 0.5°C for thermocouples and 0.002°C for thermistors. The device has a colour display with channel indicators that can chart up to four channels simultaneously and features scan, monitor, measure and digital multimeter modes, with alarms that indicate when a measurement exceeds an assigned limit. It has 20 MB of memory for data and configuration files, a USB port to collect and store files directly to a USB drive and a LAN interface. It also includes a dedicated RS232 interface to control Fluke Calibration drywells

Software-defined radio Codan Radio Communications has announced the launch of its second major capabilities upgrade to the Envoy HF software-defined radio (SDR).

or temperature baths for automated tests. Fluke Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V799

Envoy is an advanced commercial HF radio, featuring digital voice for hiss-free communication, good RF performance, ethernet and USB connectivity and a large high-resolution display with a smart-phone-like user interface. A true SDR, the SDR is said to protect the value of the users’ investment through its extensive

Multiband antenna

feature set and future upgradeability.

The three-cable Mobile Mark SMW series multiband anten-

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from agribusiness to mining, the antenna series is a suitable antenna solution for flexible, customised, multiband coverage. Step Global Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V837

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News P25 DEMONSTRATION At the Comms Connect conference and exhibition, a presentation and demonstration of P25 System Interconnections was conducted by supporting members of the P25 Solution Centre. A P25 network with standardised interface support removes the last proprietary link between P25 conventional and trunked networks. Key benefits include: multi-network interoperability for extended coverage, mutual aid and futureproofing, and multivendor procurement for purchasing flexibility and choice. The live P25 ISSI and CSSI demonstration were hosted by Mark Ward, Airwave Solutions Australia, joined by the PSC partners supporting the development of the ISSI and CSSI open standards - Auria Wireless, Tait Communications and Zetron. Full story: bit.ly/1dGIgRh

BROADBAND SATELLITE Inmarsat’s first Global Xpress satellite (Inmarsat-5 F1) was launched aboard a Proton Breeze M rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sunday 8 December. The spacecraft was expected to reach its final geostationary orbit by the end of January, ready for the start of payload testing at the beginning of February. Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, Inmarsat-5 F1 is part of a US$1.6 billion investment by Inmarsat into the next generation of global mobile broadband communications. This investment includes a fourth Inmarsat-5 satellite ordered from Boeing in October 2013. Full story: bit.ly/1iHrXHL

Panel antenna The MiMOMax low-profile 450 MHz panel antenna is a high-gain, rugged wideband antenna with a typical 9 dBi antenna gain and a maximum input power of 200 W. Like all MiMOMax antennas, the low-profile 450 MHz panel antenna provides independent horizontal and vertical polarisations making it suitable for a wide range of radio applications including MiMO. This pattern-type diversity solution provides increased signal quality and path resilience in challenging environments. The low-profile antenna comes with a fully enclosed radome making it a good fit for harsh weather conditions and radio sites that encounter ice, snow and strong wind loading. MiMOMax Wireless Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V965

Two-port network analyser Available to rent, the Agilent E5071C-260 2-port, 9 kHz to 6.5 GHz network analyser is a fast, accurate and versatile solution to RF component testing. The unit incorporates an integral S-parameter test set and 85032F calibration kit. It is suitable for use in RF evaluation tests in component manufacturing and wireless design, and by R&D engineers and aerospace/defence contractors. Features include: wide dynamic range - >123 dB dynamic range at test port (typical); low trace noise - 0.004 dB rms @ 70 kHz IFBW; fast measurement speed - 41 ms; high temperature stability - 0.005 dB/°C; built-in programming environment (Visual Basic); LAN/USB/GPIB connectivity. TechRentals offer a set-up and download service for this product. TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V958

Compatible connectors

P25 INTERFACE TEST Omnitronics’ DRG100 P25 DFSI interface has been successfully tested with three different radios: the Tait TB9100, Spectra MX800 and RF Technology Eclipse 2. The tests demonstrated the ability of the DRG100 to transmit voice and data back to Omnitronics’ DX-Altus and RediTALK dispatch solutions. This not only enables greater dispatch capabilities but also interoperability across protocols including the capability for phased migration from analog to P25. Emergency and blast tones have also successfully been implemented across a P25 network for Anglo American’s Capcoal coal mining operation in the Queensland Bowen Basin using a DX-Altus digital radio management system. Full story: bit.ly/1cSbc8O 16

A range of Sreada Lemo and Hirose compatible connectors is now available from ConnectorTech ALS. The SRD-001 and SRD-002 series offer a high-quality alternative to the Lemo and Hirose push-pull connectors at a reduced cost. Australian manufacturers are now able to specify this type of precisionengineered, small-format, low-current, multipole, push-pull connector in general industry and radio applications where the cost of Lemo or Hirose connectors may have proven prohibitive. Independent testing has shown good continuity and continuous current capacity when mating Sreada connectors with the compatible Lemo equivalent. Mating cycle testing has shown no significant wear after 5000 cycles when fitted with the standard gold-plated contacts. Optional contacts with enhanced gold plating are also available. The Sreada range of approximately 50,000 connectors is designed to crossreference directly with Lemo and Hirose part numbers. Connector-Tech ALS Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V490

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SMART SOFTWARE BATTLES NATURAL DISASTERS

Smart software is helping emergency services agencies gather and analyse information in a more timely way.

ustralia’s key disaster management agencies have joined forces to tackle the problem of how to access and interpret information gathered during bushfires and other natural disasters to help emergency services save lives and property. “Currently, there are many ways emergency services and the community accesses official, crowd-sourced and social media information during natural disasters,” CSIRO’s Digital Productivity and Services Flagship Research Leader Alan Dormer said. “There is a real need for a united approach to help bring all of this information together in a way that makes it easier to understand, and make quick and informed decisions on how to respond to minimise the risk to life and property.” A two-day Building a System of Systems for Disaster Management event held in November 2013 saw key agencies from across the country look at how they currently access vital information during emergencies and how they can work together to improve on their systems for future benefit. “Our aim is to develop a … plan of attack on how to address the research and information concerns that restrict our ability to achieve full situational awareness during a disaster at a national scale,” Dormer said.

Emergency services, such as the NSW Rural Fire Service, are already using some technologies, like the CSIRO-developed Emergency Situation Awareness (ESA), to supplement information from other sources. “Minimising the time for communication and integration of this information frees up time for discussion, considering options and results in faster and better decisions,” Dormer said. “Having this information in an accessible form also enables incidents to be replayed and reviewed so that we can learn and respond better next time.” CSIRO is working on a suite of information-based tools for disaster management, including: predictive modelling of floods, bushfires and tsunamis; risk analysis; support tools for community resilience; and apps for disaster recovery.

Social media’s role During the recent NSW bushfires, the NSW RFS used ESA and Vizie tools in its state operations centre to detect minute-byminute, unusual patterns in tweets that would provide information on emerging fires. Anthony Clark, group manager of corporate communications, NSW RFS, said that fire agencies like the NSW RFS have been

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Sydney

Melbourne

Australian Technology Park

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

18 – 19 June 2014

30 Sept – 02 October 2014

CALL FOR PAPERS We are seeking case studies for Comms Connect Sydney. Join us at the very first satellite event outside Melbourne this June. Be part of this growing industry and submit a case study online by visiting www.comms-connect.com.au or by emailing events@comms-connect.com.au with full details. Closing deadline for submissions — 14 February, 2014 The place to learn, network and share information for the business and mission critical communications communities — don’t miss out. For further information call Lisa on 02 9487 2700 or email events@comms-connect.com.au.

In association with:

Magazine partner:

Organised by:

To book exhibition space or to discuss sponsorship opportunities

CALL PAUL DAVIS OR NARELLE GRANGER TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR INVOLVEMENT:

+61 2 9487 2700 www.comms-connect.com.au

SMART SOFTWARE BATTLES NATURAL DISASTERS

OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD, NSA WILL DELIVER A NEW INTEGRATED COMMUNICATIONS VEHICLE.

using social media to push information out to and engage with the community during emergency situations. “However, the challenge now is how to harness social media and use it as a reliable source of information and intelligence,” Clark said. "With more than 470 million impressions of the hashtag #nswfires during the October fires, it’s a significant challenge to monitor, sort and analyse that amount of information.”

Mobile incident management

A National Safety Agency vehicle provides emergency services personnel at the scene and in the command centre with access to the right information at the right time, to improve the coordination of operations during disasters such as bushfires. Credit: NSA.

The National Safety Agency, supported by the Victorian Fire Services Commissioner, has developed a mobile test platform (or truck) called SAMMI, Strategically Activated to Monitor and Manage Incidents. Over a two-year period, NSA will deliver a new emergency services integrated communications vehicle, leveraging high-capacity broadband data for use on a smartphone for all emergency services frontline and command personnel, providing them with access to the right information at the right time. The vehicle will be located close to major emergency incidents and incorporates over 30 screens, including CSIRO software developed for analytics and disaster simulation. SAMMI provides a comprehensive incident management platform through multiple perspectives including weather location information via cameras, hydrology data, real-time images from emergency services operators’ helmet-held cameras, email information, dashboards with different knowledge sources, reporting from TV stations and videoconferencing capabilities between the vehicle and the state control centre (SCC). CSIRO ICT Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/W076

Power supplies Innovative Energies’ DC UPS and PSU options feature a variety of communication options including serial and Ethernet versions of Modbus/DNP3, SMS and SNMP for remote monitoring of the battery, power, temperature and control of scheduled or manual battery condition tests. The redundant system includes two completely independent chargers, isolated by output diodes, so that failure of one system will not result in any loss of DC power to critical loads. Other features include: a low volt disconnect function that will protect the batteries from a life-shortening deep discharge condition; temperature compensated charging voltage to ensure long battery life; and battery detection circuitry giving an alarm if the battery circuit becomes open circuit or if the battery is missing. Voltage/amp and energy meters can be added with ease. In addition, there are relay alarm contacts for interfacing with other monitoring equipment. SNMP units come with web pages that can be accessed remotely. Alarms received via ‘Traps’ can be investigated further when the user logs in to the web page and interrogates the system status of the unit. This method has been commonly used by many telecommunication network customers worldwide for monitoring hard-to-access remote sites. Innovative Energies Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V586

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Vector network analysers Anritsu has expanded its VectorStar family of vector network analysers (VNAs) with the introduction of the MS4640B series. The VNAs feature PulseView, which provides pulse profile, point-in-pulse and pulse-to-pulse measurements of S-parameters, and DifferentialView for true mode stimulus S-parameter measurements. The series helps designers address the challenges associated with testing and characterising components and subsystems designed for radar and high-speed serial applications. The series models maintain all the inherent capabilities of the VectorStar platform. VectorStar features high-performance measurement capability down to frequencies as low as 70 kHz to achieve highly accurate S-parameter measurements necessary to accurately model devices in simulation applications. It achieves high-quality, low-frequency data that ensures good DC-term estimation and improves causality. MS4640B VNAs are available in frequency ranges from 70 kHz to 20, 40, 50 and 70 GHz, and as broadband systems from 70 kHz to 125 GHz. The series can also provide frequency coverage up to 750 GHz. Anritsu Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V538

Public Safety Educational and Networking Event

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What to expect: Critical communications

Network and share information with others in similar roles Gain insight and practical advice on communications Collaboration with Transport, Utilities, Mining, and Defence sectors Improve your organisation’s information, resources and response

Technology advancement Emergency management

Experience innovative business solutions and meet with suppliers Learn to better manage community expectations and communications

Cross-industry innovation

Get ahead with LTE and P25 technology integration solutions

GOVERNMENT 22

INNOVATION

COMMUNICATIONS

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TECHNOLOGY

COMMS CONNECT A CRITICAL SUCCESS Jonathan Nally

The Comms Connect 2013 conference surpassed the previous year’s event and exceeded the expectations of delegates, speakers and exhibitors.

omms Connect 2013 was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, and by all accounts was a resounding success. The workshops and speaker sessions were packed and the exhibition hall was overflowing into the adjacent entrance area. “We are hearing from the attendees - speakers, exhibitors, delegates - that it was our best yet. It was also our biggest in numerous ways - more exhibition space, 35% more attendees, and we ran for three full days with almost 70 speakers and panel members,” says Paul Davis, the conference organiser. Your writer spoke with many dozens of attendees, all of whom agreed that it was a great opportunity to network, learn from the experts, and engage with manufacturers and vendors in the critical communications industry.

Workshops and speakers A full day of workshops on the Wednesday saw well over 100 industry professionals attend a series of presentations from experts in many fields of critical communications. As there were two simultaneous streams, it wasn’t possible to be everywhere at once, but the conference organisers had split the topics into logical divides, meaning that there was something for everyone. Your writer was able to attend the ‘Mobile broadband and LTE for critical communications’ and ‘TETRA masterclass’ workshops, and came away a great deal wiser and better informed. The conference proper kicked off with two special presentations. The first was by Len Ricardo, operations manager at NASA’s Tidbinbilla tracking station near Canberra. Len delighted the audience with his ‘big picture’ view of interplanetary communications, where - unlike here on Earth - signals can take an awfully long time to reach their destination … more than 17 hours in case of the Voyager 1 spacecraft.

He was followed by Lance Valcour, a highly distinguished retired Canadian police officer and head of CITIG, the Canadian Interoperability Technology Interest Group. He gave a masterful overview of the critical communications field in Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, pointing out many similarities and some differences. (Did you know that the USA has 17,000 police jurisdictions?) There were dozens of other speakers of note during the course of the two days, including Peter Clemons, head of TETRA Business, Americas, for Hytera Mobilfunk GmbH, who gave the keynote presentation on the topic of ‘Safe cities will be smarter cities’. All of the presentations were videotaped and will be available for viewing on YouTube in a couple of weeks, once some video post-production work has been completed. Powerpoint presentations will also be available for download. Keep an eye on the Comms Connect and Critical Comms magazine websites for details.

Exhibition The exhibition hall was absolutely packed, with more than 80 different companies represented - from the largest international communications companies to the smallest, local, specialist firms. A wide range of fields was covered, from the traditional digital radio providers, to console manufacturers, microwave link manufacturers and providers, test and measurement suppliers, antenna companies, power supply providers and many more. The full list of companies is available on the Comms Connect website.

Gala dinner and awards A highlight of the conference was the associated gala dinner on the Thursday night, held by ARCIA - the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association. A packed hall at the MCEC enjoyed

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COMMS CONNECT A CRITICAL SUCCESS • Technical Excellence Award - Adrian Caldiararo, Radlink Communications • Apprentice or Trainee Award - Chris Pritchard, Icom • Peter Wallace Award - Lee Watson, Tait Radio • Community Service Award - Phil Holden, Gencom The special Jonathan Livingston Seagull Award was presented to Albert Hazebroek, owner and managing director of Mobile Masters, for his charity work and the contributions he has made to his local community in Western Australia. Photos of the dinner and awards ceremony can be found on the ARCIA gallery page.

Comms Connect in 2014

fine food and wine, entertainment provided by singer Chloe Maggs. Master of ceremonies was Paul Stathis, who kept the evening moving along with wit and charm. The highlight of the dinner was the presentation of ARCIA’s Industry Excellence Awards. There were a large number of nominations in each of the eight categories, demonstrating the high regard in which the awards are held. The winners were: • Professional Sales Award - Roger Webber, Telechnics • Engineering Elegance Award - Paul Whitfield, Omnitronics • New Talent Award - Fahad Hassan, Vertel • Customer Service Award - Ian Gibson, Airwave Solutions

This year will see two Comms Connect events: the traditional one in Melbourne, plus a new satellite event to be held in Sydney over 18-19 June. For 2014, the main Melbourne Comms Connect will take place 30 September to 2 October instead of the usual November, but at the same venue - the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, located on the Yarra River at the southern end of the city. The Sydney Comms Connect, which will be held at the Australian Technology Park in inner Sydney, will be an opportunity for those who find it difficult to get to Melbourne to experience first-hand the depth of speakers, exhibitors and workshops that attendees have come to expect. The event “won’t be a carbon copy of the Melbourne event”, says Davis, “but it will be substantial in terms of depth of conference material and technologies available to exhibition visitors on the show floor”. He adds that it is attracting a lot of interest and bookings are already coming in. Comms Connect www.CommsConnect.com.au

FM testers The Rohde & Schwarz CTH100A/CTH200A handheld analog testers are versatile tools for the verification of analog FM radios. Designed for outdoor usage and rough treatment, the models ensure reliable maintenance and verification of FM radios in the field. These units are simple to use - simply connect the radio and start the receiver and transmitter measurements. Power measurements and frequency counts provide information of the radio’s transmitter and the antenna, while a sub-audio squelch tone is generated as well as an audio tone to verify the radio receiver. High accuracy and repeatability of the measurements ensure highquality service and maintenance of all kinds of analog FM radios. The instrument is ruggedised and performs according to the MILSTD 28800F. A backlit display informs about selected measurements, results and device status. The backlight can be adjusted in several steps for convenient operation and measurement reading. With a weight of around 500 g and its small dimensions, it fits easily into pockets and backpacks, which is important for those involved with in-field service and verification. Rohde & Schwarz (Australia) Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V683

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CB radio GME has introduced a range of Australian-made fixed-mount UHF CB radios with a five-year warranty and incorporating the ScanSuite scanning technology made possible with digital signal processing. GME says that ScanSuite scans twice as fast as other UHF CBs, creates seamless uninterrupted conversation with a group of like radios, and skips nuisance signals while continually scanning memory channels. At more than 40 channels/s, the TurboScan feature enables the radio to scan all 80 channels in under 2 s. Network Scan enables radios to have uninterrupted communication by dynamically switching to unused channels. Network Scan scans for other radios that share the same CTCSS or DCS tone. Once identified, the radios communicate on a channel until radios in the group detect the wrong code or no code at which point the radios will automatically select another unused channel to continue transmitting and receiving. This allows for Network Scan-enabled radios to continually communicate without interruption. When scanning in open or group scan, the radio may continuously stop on nuisance channels. These channels may be temporarily skipped or easily removed from the scan cycle without deleting from scan memory. The ScanSuite feature can be used by any type of radio group looking for greater privacy and seamless uninterrupted communications. For example, a 4WD group can enable ScanSuite and communicate with any of the group users, without having to know what channel to start on. In an organisational environment, and when programmed using the dealer software, ScanSuite can create a virtually private network of radios, without having to pay commercial licence fees or set up expensive infrastructure. Standard Communications Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V963

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Industry Talking I hope you had a happy and safe Christmas and have enjoyed some well-earned time off over the New Year’s break. This time of year brings people together to celebrate, and of course we have major sporting and cultural events happening all over the country. It is a great time to enjoy everything Australia has to offer and I do wish that we can get through this period without any of the natural disasters that we seem to have endured over the last few years. The final major ARCIA event for 2013 was the Gala Dinner, and I extend my congratulations to the entire ARCIA team for achieving another hugely successful event. The result was a tribute to all the hard work put in by the team lead by Madeleine Cahill and Ian Miller. It was also a great pleasure again for ARCIA to be part of the concurrent Comms Connect show at the Melbourne Convention Centre. My impression was that both events continue to grow and give people two great reasons to come to Melbourne and immerse themselves in our industry. Having participated in both events, I have a new appreciation for both the ARCIA and Westwick-Farrow teams and the amount of work that goes into making the week really worthwhile. ARCIA had a stand at Comms Connect and many members took time out of their busy schedules to spread the word and encourage those who are not already members to join up. I am reliably informed that members on the stand led passionate debates on the future of our industry - a big thank you goes out to you. Planning for 2014 is well under way and this year looks to be very busy indeed with many events to be held, including a new satellite Comms Connect in Sydney in June. ARCIA will align its NSW event with this new addition to the calendar as we aim to have as many different industry participants getting together to further the interests of all groups. As the needs of major users such as governments unfold - along with the opportunities that new digital technologies bring - the workshops, trade show and networking events are a great way to participate in the process as it happens. The Sydney event is also ideal for those who, for one reason or another, just can’t get to Melbourne. So if you have an interest in radio communications, make sure you set time aside in June to attend. ARCIA committee members will be conducting comprehensive planning sessions over 5-6 February in Melbourne. We aim to plan all our activities for 2014 and, importantly, focus our resources on areas that we believe can deliver maximum benefits to members and partners. I am looking forward to the year ahead and wish you the best of luck with all your endeavours.

Industrial vehicle radios The Madison Connective Technologies WLg Road is a rugged radio designed for applications in road transportation, depots, warehouses, agriculture, manufacturing floors, docks and distribution centres. It can be mounted in trucks, city buses, forklifts, trailers, tractors or cranes, for material handling, real-time information transmission and inventory management. The Acksys WiFi Access Point products feature: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/h and super AG, up to 108 Mbps; operating environment from 25 to +70°C; WEP, WPAPSK, WPA2-PSK and IEEE 802.1x RADIUS security; web-based configuration and SNMP administration; auto-sensing 10/100 Base TX network interface; DC power supply input (+9 to +50 VDC), POE IEEE 802.3af for /NP; UTAC E2 certified (CE standard for electronic equipment installed aboard vehicles); shockproof and vibration proof; and protection against dust and water projections (IP65). Madison Technologies Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V644

Power distribution panels Innovative Energies' IEICT Distribution Series 2, for DC distribution, is available with remote IP monitoring and power control. These features enable the user to power down equipment, such as modems and routers, to reset them remotely. Other features include: five digital alarm contact inputs for site monitoring such as door or intruder alarms; SNMP v1 and SNMPv2c support allowing for trap alarm reporting; front panel-mounted fuses up to 40 A rating; and mobile phone-optimised web pages. The 12 independently configurable load outputs can be used as low-voltage disconnects (LVDs); complex load shedding can be achieved using this feature. The remote power cycle feature can be used to individually power cycle equipment connected to the 12 load outputs in case of lockups and switch them back on again. Alarm reporting can also be configured remotely per individual load output using the TCP/IP connection. The panel has a peak system current of 180 A, up to 30 days of data logging and even displays voltage and amps all in a 1U rack. The firmware can easily be upgraded. The intelligent DC power distribution panels can also be used without the ability to control,

Hamish Duff, President Australian Radio Communications Industry Association

with remote monitoring via SNMP and web pages still possible. Innovative Energies Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V587

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Mobile access controller NEC Australia is releasing the latest generation of its Mobile Access Controller (MAC) solution. Evolving over eight years, it is tougher, smaller and purpose-built for harsh environments. With all-new hardware, software and configuration flexibility, this solution offers a list of integrated voice and data features to make operations smarter, safer and easier. Designed specifically for vehicle fleets, the MAC solution provides a highly configurable mobile communications platform that enables organisations to cost-effectively extend voice and IT systems using private and public networks, beyond the office environment to field workers in remote, rural or urban environments. The MAC improves availability and coverage through the intelligent use of multiple existing networks. The MAC is a productivity and workforce management tool enabling businesses to track and manage assets, monitor personnel safety and facilitate workflow and service delivery functions to their customers. Developed in Australia, the solution provides a single flexible, reliable and adaptable communication platform that facilitates multiple communications channels (LMR, 3G, LTE, Wi-Fi, satellite) when other systems become redundant or out of range. NEC Australia Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V647

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BROADCAST NEWS

BROADCAST NEWS Jonathan Nally

From its origins as an obscure government entity, Australia’s BAI has transformed into a market-leading commercial operation providing services to almost the entire broadcast industry.

p until the late 1990s, there existed a government body called the National Transmission Agency. This body had arisen from a federal government realisation that it would not be economically viable for private broadcasters to roll out multiple radio and TV transmission networks into the bush. So the government chose to do it itself, often using its Commonwealth status to grant right of entry to areas, such as national parks, that would otherwise have been hard to access. The significant capital expenditure that would be required to roll out digital television led to the decision to privatise the business in 1999 on the understanding that the new company - Broadcast Australia, now the BAI Group - would lead the rollout. The government raised money from the sale and converted a variable and lumpy capex program into predictable annual fees. More recently, BAI became part of a listed entity, Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group, which was taken private in 2009. Today it is owned by the Canadian Pension Plan Investment

Board (CPPIB) and some smaller Canadian pension funds. CPPIB has a focus on Australia and has also invested in Barangaroo and some local toll roads. We spoke with Brett Savill, strategy and corporate development director for the BAI Group, to find out where the transmission tower business is heading.

What is the present scale and distribution of BAI’s infrastructure? BAI operates from around 600 sites covering 97% of the Australian population. The majority are in regional and remote Australia because of the broadcast nature of the signal. The bulk are large lattice towers (30 to 180 m) rather than the monopoles that are often used by the telco industry. Many have large huts (in the 1980s many of the field force used to live on the sites) with spare capacity as well as backup power. Generally speaking, the sites are on the top of hills because of the propagation characteristics of TV and radio. The exceptions to this are the AM radio sites, which are close to the edge

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BROADCAST NEWS Over time the business has expanded and we have acquired RFE (a radiocommunications engineering business in Hong Kong), Hostworks (a critical application manager in Australia) and Transit Wireless (which operates a DAS system in the New York subway), and we have set up Airwave Solutions Australia to focus on the public safety space here, and BAI Canada which is developing a DAS system for the Toronto subway. We like to think that all our networks are resilient, shared, safe and smart. Our tag line is that we are the ‘Platform to Communicate’ - we enable a digital world connecting our customers to their audiences and users across multiple platforms.

As well as providing access to your towers for customer equipment, do you also sell bandwidth on your microwave and other links? Yes. Some customers want to own the equipment themselves, and in those cases we just do what you call ‘vertical real estate’. Others want a managed service, in which case we’ll put in the capex and run it for a semi-annual fee. Telcos and commercial broadcasters tend to rent space on sites but run the active part of the service themselves.

What effect is the trend away from analog to digital having on your business? It’s interesting you should mention that. The new digital equipment produces a vast amount more telemetry information than it sends back to our NOC. So at the moment we are going through a big change, to work out how we can best use all of this information to make better decisions.

There must be huge demand from rural Australia for better communications access - what role is BAI playing in fulfilling that need? What are the opportunities and challenges? We started up Airwave four years ago to focus on private networks, initially the emergency services, but also the utility and the mining sectors. All have a need for high-availability, lowpriced connectivity from a service-based company. We have also revamped the team dealing with the telco customers to raise the quality of our service to best practice levels: this means faster turnaround, proactive advice on dealing with location issues and flexible and competitive pricing.

Earlier this year, BAI acquired a group of transmission sites from the Mine Site company. What prompted that?

of towns. A network operations centre (NOC) runs the network and we have large teams of engineers - specialists in RF, power and structures. We use a mix of technologies to get signals to the towers. Some sites use fibre; remote sites use microwave links; and the most remote sites of all use satellite.

What types of customers do you have? Our customers run the breadth of the media, telecommunications and emergency services industries. ABC and SBS represent about two-thirds of our turnover and receive a managed service; that is, BAI invests the capex and runs the service on behalf of the national broadcasters against a service level agreement. All telcos use our towers, plus many government agencies use them for their radio networks, eg, rural fire services. We have rolled out digital TV and a series of other contracts for the ABC and SBS, including News Radio, Digital Radio etc.

Mine Site had acquired a business called Nixon Communications that had a portfolio of sites that were non-core. We acquired Mine Site because they were in great locations with strong demand, such as the edge of Mackay in Queensland. We felt we could invest in those sites to bring them up to the highest standards expected of our sites.

With that acquisition, is it simply a case of taking on a management role for current customers, or is there a goal of building more business using those assets? Our biggest customer today on those sites is actually Mine Site itself, which was a new customer to BAI. However, the others were all existing customers.

With the Mine Site assets, will you be able to pick up any business from the eventual wider rollout of the new Queensland GWN? Telstra has been awarded this contract and we are keen to work with them if our sites are in the right locations. Airwave also has a contract to roll out a network for Ergon and the sites may be useful for them as well.

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless 29

BROADCAST NEWS Do you see more opportunities or need for infrastructure growth for BAI? If so, where and when? Australia is unusual for a first-world country because there is such a lot of new macrosite communications infrastructure being planned and built: there is the NBN fixed wireless rollout, as well as the new sites planned by Optus and VHA. There will also be new investments in private networks such as Ergon. Finally on the microsite front, we will see the rollout of distributed antenna systems (DAS) like our New York business, Transit Wireless. There has been some movement in Australia on this front, but nothing like the level seen in the US and Europe.

Finally, there’s a concept called ‘neutral hosting’. Does BAI have a stake in that? BAI Group's Network Operation Centre in Sydney.

What can you tell us about the federal government’s ‘black spots’ program and where might BAI fit into it? We are keen to talk to industry and government about where we might be of assistance. We do believe that the way the program has been managed in the UK provides some useful pointers to a successful program here in Australia. Our sister company Arqiva was recently awarded GBP150 million by the UK government to build 575 new sites in black spot areas on behalf of mobile operators.

You’ve looked at the New York business (interview with Chris Jaeger of Transit Wireless in the Sep/Oct 2013 issue), which involves a DAS, a distributed antenna system. The telcos plug their equipment into a base station hotel, and rather than just renting space on a tower, the neutral host has the responsibility of radiating the signal from the base station hotel to multiple smaller locations, microsites or whatever. Everyone recognises across the world that small cells are where the growth is. In the US, I think there are something like five times as many small cells as there are macrocells. I think we’ll see the same thing here in Australia - not in the next couple of years, but certainly in the next five years.

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless

Cables element14 has announced availability of its portfolio of the most essential cables to provide complete connectivity solutions from connectors to cables and cable management. The comprehensive portfolio includes over 12,000 cables and wires, and cable accessories products from industry leaders. The range of cables includes single wire, multi-cored, multi-paired, coaxial and ribbon for use in a wide range of applications such as medical, aerospace, defence, smart energy, industrial automation, lighting, consumer electronics and telecommunications. In addition, the company offers an extended range of cable accessories; cable ties and mounts, labels, heat shrink, grommets and glands. Exclusively available from element14, the Pro-Power range comprises the widest selection of over 800 products of multi-core cables and ribbon cables. Belden is one of the world’s leading suppliers of signal transmission solutions including cable, connectivity and active components for mission-critical applications such as aerospace and broadcast studios. The company stocks Alpha Wire’s range of high-quality, premium-grade products which include wire, cable and tubing products, and from TE, a world leader in cable management products, which include heat shrink, wire markers, sleeving and grommets. In addition, Hellermann Tyton offers products for fastening, fixing, identifying and protecting cables and its connecting components. element14 Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V946

Spectrum analyser The Anritsu S332E Site Master is a compact, handheld unit with touchscreen interface, numeric keypad and built-in file management system for traces and set-ups. It comes preloaded with analysis software including functions for Smith chart tools and is available to rent from TechRentals. The cable analyser module will measure return loss, VSWR, cable loss, phase and distance-to-fault. The spectrum analyser will measure occupied bandwidth, channel power, ACPR, C/I and spectral emission masks. The interference analyser handles requirements involving spectrograms, signal strength, RSSI and signal ID. Applications for the Anritsu S332E include: cable and antenna installation; two port measurements of tower-mounted amplifiers, duplexers, diplexers and filters; phase matching cables; transmitter verification; interference analysis of cellular systems, land mobile radio systems and Wi-Fi; signal strength mapping and spectrum monitoring; field analysis of 2G/3G/4G signals; maintenance for wireless service providers, contractors, military, aerospace and defence, and public safety applications. Features include: cable/antenna analyser frequency range of 2 MHz to 4 GHz with a sweep speed of 1 ms/data point (typical); spectrum/interference analyser frequency range of 9 kHz to 4 GHz with DANL -152 dBm in 10 Hz RBW; USB interface to connect to a PC. TechRentals Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V588

News COLD-WEATHER COMMS In September 2011, a group of six participants from the Chilean Antarctic base, O’Higgins, and five from the Argentinean base, Esperanza, faced 100 km/h winds and temperatures of -24°C in a 280 km training rescue. As part of the mission, the Barrett exclusive dealer in Chile, Skytel Telecomunicaciones, was asked to provide equipment on a trial basis. Skytel supplied the Barrett 2050 HF transceiver set up as a base station at O’Higgins Base and a second Barrett 2050 was mounted onto a snowmobile with a Barrett 2019 automatic tuning mobile HF antenna. Full story: bit.ly/1a9tba1

APCOA CONFERENCE APCO Australasia is inviting members of the industry to participate in the 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held 29 April to 1 May in Melbourne. The theme of the conference is ‘Public Safety: Challenging People, Technology and Process’, and the organisers are calling for potential speakers to submit their ideas. The submission deadline is 31 January 2014. Full story: bit.ly/1bJlgfJ

ZETRON FOR TORONTO Zetron’s Advanced Communications (Acom EVO) system utilising the P25 Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) has been deployed at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which operates Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. The 26-position system is serving as the master dispatch console for a three-site, 12-channel simulcast P25 solution deployed at the GTAA’s Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC). The IOCC oversees airport safety, security, maintenance and service operations. Full story: bit.ly/1cDFc3N

TASMANIAN RAIL DMR MiMOMax has partnered with Tait to supply 19 Link Radio Units to link 10 Tait base stations and 81 mobile units across 10 Tasmanian Rail sites. The units transport voice and packet data to provide comms to locomotives and track vehicles. MiMOMax utilises high orders of modulation over narrowband MiMO technologies to provide linking at ultra-high spectral efficiency. Proprietary compression schemes and data management provide linking for up to 13+1 trunked channels of DMR or other digital PMR in 25 kHz while still having uncommitted Ethernet bandwidth for other applications. Full story: bit.ly/1lqLZWE

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless 31

News LTE FOR LOS ANGELES

WCDMA handset simulator

The Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System Authority (LA-RICS) looks set to acquire an LTE network for first responders. Following consideration of two bids, LA-RICS has opened negotiations with an unnamed vendor to supply the system. The 232-site network, which will include both LTE and P25 technology, will need to integrate with the FirstNet system. The plan is to unload non-mission-critical voice to LTE and keep mission-critical voice on the 700 MHz band. Full story: bit.ly/19Ww4L3

Aeroflex Limited has announced that the TM500 Test Mobile family now

SILVERCOMM GOES DMR Silvercomm, which supports organisations across the greater Melbourne area with its MPT network, will upgrade to a DMR system - the Silvercomm CLEARCALL Network - using Tait equipment, as part of plans to enhance its service-quality levels. Tait Communications, with distributor Logic Wireless, is supplying a nine-site UHF DMR Tier 3 trunked voice and data network. The network was due to be customer ready by late December 2013. Full story: bit.ly/196MAtO

provides a full-stack WCDMA handset simulation capability that is scalable, from testing and verifying the performance of small cells right up to multi-handset, multi-cell network capacity performance testing. The WCDMA handset simulator shares a common platform with the TM500 LTE and LTE-A simulators, and also supports emulation of real data services. Current industry forecasts from both Ericsson and Cisco predict that 3G connections and devices will continue to grow faster than those for 4G until beyond 2017, and that 3G will still be the dominant technology in 2018 in all market regions except North America. The Aeroflex TM500 WCDMA test solution has been specifically developed to meet these evolving test needs. Aeroflex Incorporated Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V648

Data acquisition system Fluke Corporation has

NZ 4G AUCTION The New Zealand Government is auctioning the remaining 2x5 MHz block of 700 MHz radio spectrum. In October 2013, Telecom and Vodafone were each successful in bidding for 2x15 MHz (three lots), while 2degrees successfully bid for 2x10 MHz (two lots), leaving one 2x5 MHz block unsold. Bidding was to begin at the reserve price of NZ$22 million (plus GST), and the price was to increase in each round until only one bidder remained. Full story: bit.ly/1gauMgk

TETRA FOR LNG PROJECT Motorola Solutions has completed installation of a dedicated TETRA network for Queensland Gas Corporation’s liquefied natural gas project in southern Queensland. The microwave and TETRA wide-area network links the central processing plant in the gas fields to the company’s processing plants, field compression stations, main line valve stations, Chinchilla office and logistics facility, and its corporate office in Brisbane. The infrastructure includes vehicle terminals with GPS tracking, handheld terminals, desk terminals, dispatcher console and voice-recording facility. To date, more than 1500 devices have been deployed for staff on the ground. Full story: bit.ly/1dofgu4 32

introduced the 2638A Hydra Series III, its most recent addition to the Hydra line of data acquisition systems/digital multimeters. It features a full-colour display with easy-to-use menu system, DC measurement accuracy of 0.0024%, 6.5-digit DMM mode and CAT II safety ratings. The 2638A incorporates the Fluke Universal Input Connector that supports 15 common thermocouple types and delivers thermocouple accuracy of 0.5°C. The plug-in universal input connector has 22 channels of differential analog input (expandable to 66) for wiring multichannel systems. Once wired, the connector can be disconnected and the 2638A moved and connected to another input connector, eliminating the need to disconnect and rewire test set-ups. Selectable measurement input types include DC voltage, AC voltage, resistance, thermocouple, RTD, thermistor, frequency, and DC and AC current. The Hydra Series III has 20 onboard maths channels with alarm settings for even complex maths calculations that record results to data files during each scan. It can chart real-time data of up to four channels at once with a history mode that allows scrolling through previously collected data without a PC or charting programs. The Hydra Series III has onboard memory for storing more than 57,000 data records and configuration files, as well as a USB port to collect and store large files directly to a USB drive. The USB and LAN interfaces allow easy connection to PCs and networks. Fluke Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V646

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless

RF test solution for wireless networks High-power attenuators Pasternack Enterprises’ line of high-power RF attenuators operate from DC to 6 GHz and have an average power rating of 100 W, with peak powerhandling capabilities of 2000 W. The high-power fixed attenuators are built from lightweight, strong anodised aluminium heat sink bodies and can be ordered with passivated stainless steel SMA, TNC and N connectors, and silver-plated brass 7/16 DIN connectors. The attenuators have large cooling fins, enabling them to effectively operate between temperature ranges of -55 to +125°C. There is a range of attenuation and connector options: they come in 3, 6, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 dB models, with a total of 42 different male or female 7/16 DIN, SMA, N and TNC in-series and betweenseries connector combinations. They are all RoHS compliant.

The JDSU CellAdvisor JD740 series now supports LTE-Advanced, aggregating up to five component carriers and MIMO 4X. In addition, users can remotely control the instrument via Bluetooth within a 100 m range. Field activation lets operators, equipment manufacturers and contractors keep pace as LTE evolves, while their staff safely test remote radio units mounted high above the ground. The CellAdvisor JD740 series can test aggregate composite carriers within the same frequency band or even between bands with the flexibility to configure each component carrier at any transmission bandwidth. In addition, they can test MIMO implementations for two or four transmitting antennas to assess the independent power and modulation quality for each branch. JDSU allows users to test existing LTE networks and evolve to LTEAdvanced through simple software activation. Current CellAdvisor users can enable this capability immediately, while new users’ hardware investment is protected. CellAdvisor’s wireless remote control capability allows cell technicians and RF engineers to remotely test radio heads that are installed in high towers using Bluetooth long-distance (Class 1) connectivity. While remaining safely on the ground, users have the same visibility and

Rojone Pty Ltd

control as if they were in front of the instrument.

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V801

JDSU Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/V305

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless 33

Backhaul Welcome to Backhaul, where each issue we’ll take a trip down memory lane and look at the state of the industry 25 and 10 years ago. 25 years. The December ’88/January ’ 89 i s s u e o f Wh a t ’ s N e w i n R a d i o Communications featured the Vicom FM1200S communications service monitor on the cover. Among its features was the capability to test cellular mobiles and portables, as well as the ability to test LTR compatible mobiles, portables and repeaters. Fibre optics were all the rage, with stories on an Australia-New Zealand link, plus the installation of a Telecom fibreoptic communications system (OFCAS) at Alan Bond’s headquarters in Perth. The Overseas Telecommunication Commission (OTC - remember them?) also reported the installation of a fibre link to its satellite ground station at Moree. The issue had feature articles on progress in developing an advanced communication system for NSW’s State Rail Authority especially for the Tangara trains, which were new into service - and ways in which to implement a voice security system for use with mobile transceivers. The Water Authority of Western Australia had just taken delivery of a new voice and data communication system from Philips TDS, which included a telephone switching and data system linked with a network of VHF base stations and mobiles. 10 years. The cover of the January/ February 2004 issue of Radio Comms AsiaPacific showed how far things had come in 15 years, with online services now in play. The three companies featured - EMC Technologies, FuturePace Solutions and Bailey Dixon - had developed an online management system for implementing full compliance with government requirements for EMR. Products listed in this issue ranged from Bluetooth radio modules (Vitech) to wireless telemetry remote field units (Conlab); tactical combat radios (Marconi) to LiMnO2 primary cells (Saft Australia); and CB handhelds and m o b i l e s ( f ro m G M E and Icom, respectively) to multiband mobile/ GPS antennas (RF Industries).

Spectrum TETRA on the rise TETRA has now been deployed in 130 countries, through 2500 contracts and with more than three million radios in active use. In late 2012, TETRA commenced in North America following acceptance by the FCC and Canadian telecom regulators. Finally, after more than a decade, customers in the world's largest LMR market can access TETRA solutions. Systems have already been implemented by the utilities, public transport and airport sectors, and it will support the Superbowl in 2014. In Australia, spectrum reforms and ageing analog systems continue to stimulate the migration to TETRA, particularly within the industrial/resources sector. During 2013 more than 17,000 handhelds and mobiles were sold, including over 5000 IECeX intrinsically safe TETRA radios. A number of vendors were involved, including Motorola, DAMM, Sepura, Cassidian, SELEX, Simoco, Rohill, Teltronic, Funkwerk and Hytera, supported by local dealers, systems integrators and value-add suppliers. Projects included: the massive Gorgon LNG project; the Roy Hill project, incorporating a 350-kilometre rail system; the Wheatstone Chevron LNG project; the Fortescue mine upgrades with a 300-kilometre rail system; and the Queensland Gas (LNG) pipeline project. Other markets included port and airport operations as well as public transport: for example, the Queensland Light Rail project; Brisbane City Council; and bus services that use the Motorola ZEON system. Communications systems at mines and oil and gas facilities are mission critical, and the IP-based TETRA architecture has become the preferred DLMR technology for voice and data in these sectors. Over 80% of the TETRA market in Australia is in the resources and associated sectors, primarily in rural Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, where spectrum has been more readily available. Users include Shell, Exxon Mobil, Santos, Chevron, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Fortescue, British Gas and Queensland Gas. These companies demand 100% availability to support operations, ensure staff safety and protect the critical infrastructure that drives major export revenue. The selection of TETRA revolves around key criteria: maturity and innovation; voice, data and security functionality; spectrum efficiency and traffic capacity; interoperability between vendors; and whole-of-life cost. TETRA offers users multiple operational and value-added benefits: multi-vendor procurement; security; health and safety advantages; simplified integration with other systems; high redundancy; and an IP-base. With TETRA, operators can have an integrated voice network and get the most efficient digital LMR data network capable of supporting user location, SCADA and telemetry and messaging and information transfer… all from the one investment. A reflection of the increasing appreciation of the rise of TETRA in the local market was the high level of attendance at the TETRA workshops at the recent 2013 Comms Connect conference in Melbourne. Phil Kidner, CEO of the TETRA & Critical Communications Association, joined other international and local attendees to reflect on another year of significant migration to TETRA technology - a year that has seen growth in new contract awards across Australia contributing to the Asia-Pacific region becoming the world's fastest-growing region for TETRA.

Contributed by the directors of the Australasian TETRA Forum Ltd (tetraforum.com.au) which comprises more than 20 major vendors, integrators, consultants and distributors, and is part of the international TETRA & Critical Communications Association.

This issue is sponsored by — TE Connectivity — www.te.com/wireless

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