5G and Mission Critical Communications

There is no denying the indispensable role of communication to help businesses leap ahead in our hyperconnected world today. This is especially the case in situations where highly reliable communication required, such as in the logistics, transportation, or hospitality sectors. It can also be a matter of public safety, as is the case of emergency services, law enforcement, and aviation – to name a few.

When it comes to mission-critical communications, “push-to-talk” (PTT) is a common capability to quickly convey messages between team members. Traditionally implemented using private land-based mobile radio (LMR) networks, PTT also offers instantaneous voice communication from portable handheld devices.

Despite its utility, LMR is not without limitations. One obvious downside is that it is restricted to voice-based communications. This means that non-voice messages such as documents, pictures, videos, or text messages are not supported. Operations personnel and emergency response teams must hence verbally describe an issue or emergency, limiting the fluidity of communication and speed of information exchange.

As we move towards the future, it is time to consider how alternative solutions can complement or replace legacy LMR systems to offer capabilities such as seamless exchange of digital content or even real-time collaboration. On this front, modern cellular networks are generally viewed as the best fit with the ability to meet both existing and emerging requirements.

Supported by a mobile network, organisations can seamlessly access IP-based capabilities for digital data exchange or video-based communication. Unsurprisingly, interest in cellular options is growing rapidly around the world. The Korea, the UK and the US have all embarked on national cellular based Mission Critical Push-to-Talk networks based. Indeed, the global PTT over cellular (PTToC) market size is projected to reach US$55 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR 11.2% between 2020 and 2027, according to data from Research and Markets.

As PTToC adoption takes off, organisations are looking to how they can deploy it for mission-critical communication. In Singapore, mission-critical push-to-talk (McPTT) functionality can be implemented using ruggedised smartphones operating over our existing mobile networks. Such an approach would allow for the seamless exchange of text messaging and photos. Advanced capabilities such as Push-to-Video or PTV is also possible and would serve to further enhance the effectiveness of operational teams or first respondents.

The ongoing deployment of 5G in Singapore offers another advantage to McPTT given its inherent support for mission-critical communications. When fully integrated with 5G’s support for network slicing, it ensures heightened robustness and prioritisation at the mobile network level so that mission-critical communications always get through even if base stations are congested with traffic.

Of course, the manageability and flexibility of the McPTT solution matter as well, and this is another area where PTToC has an edge. With everything being digital, it is a simple matter to rapidly deploy or reconfigure the solution to establish predefined groups or set up ad-hoc groups on demand. Moreover, voice and video transmissions can be recorded automatically to meet compliance regulations or for post-action analyses. The result is a versatile, cost-effective solution designed to offer real-time mission-critical communication between individuals or groups.

Organisations that require mission-critical communications would be first responders such as firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement officers. Equipped with a PTToC solution, they can either be deployed across the island or at sensitive locations such as airports, maritime ports, and other protected facilities where rapid, coordinated responses to emergencies or intrusion are required.

Enterprises stand to benefit, too. This might range from industries in logistics, construction, or even hospitality which can benefit from reliable communication by a workforce that is spread out or always on the move. Some of the benefits include:

• Improved efficiency with the ability to share rich media
• Seamlessly disseminate voice and video streams to team members
• Complete digital records can be kept for debriefs or audits
• Crystal clear voice communications
• Prioritised, mission-critical communications

Expect mission-critical systems to further evolve with the round-island implementation of 5G in Singapore. Expect a wider range of applications to be implemented over time, such as group chat, Push-to-Video, and file sharing – all transmitted with the reliability needed for mission-critical scenarios

StarHub delivers end-to-end 5G capabilities that open the door to a world of endless possibilities. Contact us today to discuss how you might deploy 5G to help your business, or for a trial of StarHub 5G.