Under the motto ‘Digital radio saves lives – digital radio needs broadband’, experts and managers from the police, fire brigade, rescue services and armed forces, as well as representatives from politics and administration, met at this year’s BOS Day in Essen to discuss the further development of emergency communications. The focus was on digital radio, broadband technologies and the requirements of modern crisis communication.
In his speech, Bavaria’s State Secretary for the Interior, Sandro Kirchner, emphasised the central role of digital radio for internal security in Germany: “Digital radio for authorities and organisations with security tasks (BOS) is the backbone of our emergency communications. Reliable communication is the basis for public safety.” Together with his counterparts from Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, Stephan Manke and Dr Daniela Lesmeister, Kirchner emphasised that voice communication alone is no longer sufficient. In view of increasing digitalisation, rising data requirements and current geopolitical risks, there is a growing need for higher data transfer rates, multimedia functions and broadband access.
TETRA basis as a proven foundation
The BOS digital radio is based on the European standard TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio). This encrypted, nationwide uniform radio network ensures fail-safe voice and data communication and has already proven itself in flood situations, major fires and attacks. Kirchner explained that in future, broadband services must enable the transmission of image and video data, position information and important operational documents in real time. Only in this way can the supply of the population and the safety of the emergency services be guaranteed.
Broadband as a necessity, not an option
Interior State Secretary Dr Daniela Lesmeister emphasised that modern operational communication would be inconceivable without broadband radio. Location maps, drone images, vital data and documents must be available in real time – voice communication alone is no longer sufficient. To ensure this, an independent, crisis-proof network is needed that operates on UHF frequencies between 470 and 694 megahertz. These frequencies offer long range, good building penetration and international standardisation in the upper range for broadband technology.
Kirchner added that, in addition to sufficient funding, back-up solutions such as satellite communication are also necessary. The federal government is providing around 451 million euros until 2029, but this is only a first step. A joint effort by the federal and state governments is necessary to achieve a comprehensive and crisis-resistant communications infrastructure.
Practical examples and demonstrations
The BOS Day in Essen offered participants the opportunity to experience the performance of digital radio and the potential of future broadband applications in practice. At several stations, the police, fire brigade, rescue services, THW and Bundeswehr demonstrated applications such as the tele-emergency doctor system and real-time situation maps. A vivid example from Berlin showed how BOS digital radio remained stable during a power failure caused by an attack, while around 50,000 households were without power and mobile phone networks failed. The base stations were continuously supplied with emergency power.
Conclusion: Independent networks for internal security
The event in Essen made it clear that the future of emergency communications is based on the interaction of digital radio and broadband technologies. Only with a dedicated, crisis-proof network, exclusive frequencies and reliable funding can the operational capability of emergency services be guaranteed even in extreme situations. Communication is the be-all and end-all of every operation – and a ‘no signal’ must never be an option for emergency services and the population.
