CRITICAL COMMUNICATIONS CASE STUDY

INTRODUCTION
FOCUS ON FINLAND AND THE FIRST USER
DRIVEN COUNTRY PAVILION AT CCW
Tero Pesonen, Critical Communications
Broadband Group chairman, TETRA and
Critical Communications Association
“
The world we live in is
quite different - internet,
mobility and globalisation
are pushing operational
needs.
In the 90s, Finland was one of the first
countries to introduce a nationwide shared
TETRA network for all governmental
authorities. Back then a number of user
representatives such as Janne Koivukoski,
Heikki Riippa and Matti Sivula to name just a
few contributed strongly to the formation of
TETRA standard and its capabilities to
address the needs of cooperative public
safety operations. Since then, field operation
has continuously been developing,
embracing further user groups, addressing
new needs and shaking previous structures.
COOPERATION IS KEY
The resourcing in terms of financing as well
as in manpower are limited and Finland
cannot alone set course of development,
which has led to the Finnish critical
communications community seeking for
cooperation possibilities, as well as finding
ways to enhance and support mutual trust
between stakeholders.
Three great examples of this cooperation are:
1. The Common Emergency Response Centre
(ERC) provides a service to all agencies
nationwide. From an administration and
technical point of view, it is one entity with
six physical locations.
2. Police, customs and the border guard share
same rights and obligations. So, they can be
assigned interchangeably to missions
providing great flexibility. This is particularly
effective in the countryside, where units
might be far apart.
3. Utilities and public transport are invited
to the same shared critical communications
network. Ensuring energy supply is critical
in modern society and the needs of railway
communication can be fulfilled together
with public safety as long as sufficient
attention is given into details.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Now, there is strong recognition that the world
we live in is quite different – internet, mobility
and globalisation are pushing operational
needs. The post Google-born generation is also
graduating to public safety professions with
new expectations as we speak. This new era
calls for re-inventing critical communication
This new era calls for re-inventing critical
communication. Now is the time to put joint
effort in it. This is why Critical
Communications Finland is now advocating
seizing the moment for common good.
SPOTLIGHT ON FINLAND
At the Finnish Pavilion, Finnish authorities
and the national public safety operator VIRVE
will be sharing how Finnish safety and
security agencies, social stakeholders and
solution providers have made progress
through co-operation and collaboration. A
visitor will have a chance to learn first-hand
how far Finnish critical communication
users have come, as they open their way of
working, sharing cooperation methods and
how they addressed common challenges. An
emergency services joint field commanding
unit will be part of the Finnish Pavilion,
demonstrating the technical solution in use.
Cyber security has also been considered - from
the state security smart phone usage down to
the last fire fighter. The ability to build
independent back-up transmission for base
stations will also be addressed. But it is not only
about the technology. It is also about finding
solutions of how to plan and test field operations
and train end users to harness the benefits.