Mr. Yoshikazu Takahashi, CEO of Nippon Airport Radio Services (NAR), Mr. Takeshi Suzuki, Senior Center Engineer of NAR, Mr. Kazufumi Konishi, President & CEO or Avicom, and Mr. Hiroshi Watarai, Senior Manager of Avicom Japan attended this year’s CCW. NAR have installed Motorola Solutions’ TETRA as an airport radio system at Narita Airport, Central Japan International Airport, Kansai International Airport, and Naha Airport, while Avicom have installed our solutions at Haneda Airport. We asked them to share their thoughts on recent trends in critical communication and their impressions of the event.

Helsinki was welcoming and easy to get around

Takahashi: Helsinki is a very safe and clean city. The people are very hospitable. I like the harmony between the historic streetscape of the Helsinki Central Station area and the rich natural environment. The Helsinki Region Transport Authority (HSL) smartphone app guided us to the best combination of trains, streetcars, subways, and buses for optimal transfers, so we were able to get around without stress.

Konishi: Helsinki’s streets are very beautiful, and there are many modern and historical buildings. People were very calm, relaxed, and friendly.

CCW 2023 was rich in useful content

Takahashi: CCW2023 was a grand event with a lot of exhibitors and a lot of content, even though it was just after the pandemic. It was very helpful in determining the future direction of our business.

Suzuki: This was my first time attending this event, and I was exposed to a lot of information through the exhibits and lectures that I cannot get in Japan, which deepened my knowledge of critical communication.

Konishi: The overall atmosphere and energy of the event was wonderful! It was very stimulating and gave me new perspectives; I was able to directly see and touch the cutting-edge technologies and products of many global suppliers and manufacturers through exhibition booths and programs.

Watarai: There were a variety of themes, and I could choose according to my interests and needs, and discover new information easily.

Impressions of Motorola Solutions Booth

Takahashi: I was impressed by the TETRA/LTE hybrid terminal.

Suzuki: I was impressed by the interoperability solution between TETRA and MCX, where several MCX functions are integrated based on TETRA.

Konishi: I was very interested in the solutions using TETRA and various applications. I am relieved that development and investment in TETRA will continue so that we can continue to use TETRA.

I was most impressed by the on-premise video security & access control solution. In-airport photo and video solutions are essential for critical communications and monitoring of mission-critical locations and facilities. This solution allows us to identify people in a few seconds. By using multiple camera analysis, it’s possible to monitor the movement of people who have undergone boarding inspection until they board, and to use it for scheduled flight operations. This will allow us to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency.

Senior executives from Motorola Solutions and Dr. Jolly Wong, former CTO of the Hong Kong Police Force, offer much needed support

Takahashi: The executives listened sincerely to our requests. We would very much appreciate your continued support from the top level. I was also impressed with Dr. Wong’s knowledge of Japanese telecommunications. In the future, when we question the necessity of critical telecommunications infrastructure in Japan, we would appreciate your help in providing more persuasive materials.

Suzuki: Dr. Wong’s case study on the introduction at Hong Kong International Airport was very interesting, and their recognition of the possibility for a large-scale failure of the public network (cell phones) and the use of IP radio in Japan allowed me to see a different way of thinking about critical communications.

Konishi: I would like to express my gratitude for being able to meet with your company’s executives. I was able to hear about new innovations and exchange ideas and opinions regarding the current issues around critical communications.

Cost is a key consideration in implementing networked communications for mission critical operations

Takahashi: Although there is a lot of potential to improve the efficiency of airport operations, I think we need more examples of use cases and careful consideration of cost-effectiveness in working with customers on how to make the best use of this technology in business processes.

Suzuki :Although end-users’ needs are clear, the introduction of this service in Japan will be compared to cases built on commercial telecommunication networks, and I feel that the hurdles to commercialization are still high unless there is a greater understanding of the advantages of using dedicated networks (such as availability in the event of a disaster) and the costs involved.

Other Interesting Exhibits

Takahashi: Sepura’s TETRA terminal application functions, VHF TETRA, DAMM’s UHF/VHF base station, Ericsson’s surface-to-air communication system, and NOKIA’s drone system caught my attention. I also thought SAAB’s portable LTE/5G base stations and QUBICOM’s electro-metering solutions were interesting. And I was intrigued by the quadrupedal robot in the AIRBUS booth that did not fall over when pushed. I hope it will be used in places that are inaccessible to humans.

Konishi: AIRBUS’ Aircraft Ground Operations enable safer and more efficient operations by centralizing management of airport operations and decision making.

Watarai: DAMM’s VHF TETRA Solution is a product for bandwidths that are not used in Japan, but it’s effective in reducing equipment and operational costs while making it possible to expand the current coverage area.