APCO welcomes digital strategy

APCO Australasia has welcomed the release of the National Digital Economy Strategy (NDES) because it recognises a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve public safety communications across the nation and hence improve both individual and community access to the emergency services.

Geoff Spring, executive chairman of APCO Australasia, has said: “It should inform the discussion that needs to be had about how broadband, using the compatible technologies of wireless and fixed cable, can allow Australia to keep pace with the rest of the world in public safety communications.”

The NDES is consistent with the position taken by the global alliance of APCO partners in the US, Canada, Britain and Australasia that broadband technology will be the base for future public safety communications.

“APCO Australasia believes that now is the time to consider what benefits broadband can provide through the national broadband network to next-generation 000 just as the United States is developing next-generation 911 and Europe is considering next-generation 112,” said Spring.

The ability of the public, through next-generation 000 to provide the emergency services with both imagery and location in addition to voice in real time, can now be considered a reality in the planning for Australia’s future public safety communications systems.