The federal government aims to establish a national public safety mobile broadband service by the 2025-26 financial year.
After announcing plans to release more details about this long-standing project last month, the government, through a taskforce established in early 2023, has begun a request for information (RFI) process.
The concept of a national public safety mobile broadband (PSMB) service has been discussed since 2009 and gained momentum following a 2022 review that explored potential progress paths.
The goal is to provide public safety agencies—such as fire, ambulance, police, emergency services, and other government entities—with mission-critical data and video services to complement existing land mobile radio communications.
According to government statements in recently released RFI documents, the establishment of a national public safety mobile broadband capability will be the most significant advancement in communications capability for Australian public safety agencies in decades.
The government asserts that this capability will offer personnel fast, safe, and secure data, video, and voice communications with near-instant access to data, images, and information during live situations, emergencies, and critical incidents.
They also state that this new capability will enable real-time, data-rich analytics, situational awareness, and cross-border communications, such as between ground crews, aerial assets, and incident control centres.
The government plans a “two-staged market approach” to procure the PSMB service, beginning with the RFI, followed by a formal tender.
According to the documents, the information-gathering phase is crucial for national planning purposes and will inform the Australian government and state and territory governments in their decision-making regarding a national PSMB capability.
Telcos and other suppliers must participate in this stage to bid for the work, scheduled for the 2025-26 financial year.
The PSMB taskforce aims to understand how to establish a national interoperable 4G communication network that supports data, video, and voice services for all agencies, integrate it with existing voice services and networks, use it for critical applications and data services such as real-time mapping, weather updates, and situational awareness tools, and what advantages 5G coverage might bring.
The government is open to various operating models, from a dedicated network to one utilizing existing cellular infrastructure.
