Making Waves

As he steps down as TCCA Chairman, Mladen Vratonjić reflects on one of the most transformative periods in the history of critical communications.

(Disclaimer: Due to technical issues during recording, the audio quality is not as clear as intended).

In this special conversation recorded at CCW 2026, Mladen shares how the industry evolved from dedicated TETRA networks to globally connected mission-critical ecosystems, the role TCCA played in bringing critical communications into 3GPP standards, and why resilience, interoperability and cooperation will shape the next decade.

The discussion also explores cross-border communications, cybersecurity, AI beyond the hype, and why open standards remain essential for innovation and trust.

Rather than looking back with nostalgia, Mladen offers his perspective on where the industry is heading - and why its mission has never been more important.

In this episode:

•  How critical communications has transformed over the past decade 
•  The journey from TETRA to broadband and global standards
•  Why resilience and interoperability matter more than ever
•  AI in mission-critical communications - what's real and what's just hype?
•  The importance of cooperation in an increasingly connected world
•  Mladen's reflections as he hands over the role of TCCA Chairman

Whether you're involved in public safety, utilities, transport, defence or mission-critical technology, this episode offers valuable insight from one of the industry's most respected voices.  

About Mladen Vratonjić Mladen Vratonjić has dedicated decades to shaping the future of critical communications. As Chairman of the TCCA, he helped guide the industry through a period of significant transformation - from dedicated TETRA networks to today's interconnected mission-critical broadband ecosystem. Known for his commitment to open standards, collaboration and international cooperation, Mladen leaves behind a lasting legacy that continues to influence the future of mission-critical communications.

TCCA website: https://tcca.info/ 
TCCA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tcca-critical-communications
More episodes: https://dammcellular.com/podcast/

Is public safety communication facing a technology problem, or a culture problem?

The world of first-responder communication is undergoing its most radical transformation in decades. We are moving away from purely voice-centric, dedicated narrowband systems like TETRA and stepping into an information-centric, broadband-driven reality. But are our organisations, legal frameworks, and frontline cultures truly ready for it?

In this episode of Making Waves, hosts Stuart Will and Lone Hansen sit down with industry veteran Tero Pesonen to preview the critical themes driving the upcoming Critical Communications World (CCW) event in London.

Tero shares his visionary outlook on why AI is the ultimate companion to prevent next-gen operations from remaining "science fiction," how the roadmap to 6G must be built entirely on society-level trust, and why traditional TETRA still holds a vital, resilient place in the future of critical networks. Key talking points:The power of one voice: Why a niche sector must collaborate closely to ensure commercial 4G, 5G, and 6G technologies serve public safety needs.

The three pillars of transition: The distinct hurdles that engineers, politicians, and frontline users must clear to successfully roll out nationwide broadband networks.

AI as the enabler: How automated network resilience and sensor fusion are shifting the industry paradigm from being "technology-limited" to "culture-limited."

The roadmap to 2036: A look at the emerging European Critical Communication System (EUCCS) and what it means for cross-border missions.

The longevity of TETRA: Why narrowband isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and how it fits into a multi-technology future.
About: Tero Pesonen, Vice-Chair of TCCA & Chair of the Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG)
Tero Pesonen is a globally recognised leader in the critical communications sector. Having joined the industry in 1997 during the pioneering days of TETRA, Tero dedicated his early career to turning it into a globally interoperable, multi-vendor standard. Today, as the Vice-Chair of the Critical Communications Association (TCCA) and Chair of the Critical Communications Broadband Group (CCBG), he focuses on uniting the global value chain to successfully transition public safety, disaster relief, and critical enterprises into the next era of 3GPP-based broadband (4G, 5G, and 6G).

TETRA today, tomorrow, and beyond: Inside the work of the TETRA Industry Group In the era of next-gen broadband and LTE, it is easy to focus entirely on emerging tech. But on the front lines of heavy industry and public safety, perception rarely matches operational reality.

This week on Making Waves, we step inside the global strategy rooms of the critical communications ecosystem to explore how private, dedicated networks are changing, adapting, and growing. Far from being a static technology, the international community is actively investing in new enhancements - integrating everything from cutting-edge cybersecurity protocols to artificial intelligence.

What you’ll discover in this conversation:The 15-year horizon: Why global migration strategies are built on a bedrock of long-term hybrid coexistence.

Defending the spectrum: How the industry is strategically addressing frequency spectrum pressures and navigating international ITU allocations to protect critical users.

The total cost of ownership: How manufacturers are using AI to optimise power consumption and efficiency on the network side for decades to come.

Untapped potential: Why standard telemetry, SCADA applications, and user location services mean you don't always need a broadband pipe to achieve smart network operations.
"You have to pick up the best of every technology to build the best possible solution, not just limiting yourself to one."  

Timeline: 00:00 Pre-roll episode teaser
01:16 Show intro & guest introduction
02:16 Welcome & the role of the TIG
05:11 Market reality vs. perception
07:53 Standards, cyber threats & encryption
13:16 TETRA for industrial & dedicated users
17:55 The hybrid ecosystem: Complement over competition
20:48 Innovation & the strategic 10-year future
28:04 The quick-fire round
30:31 Wrap-up & sign-off    

Featured guest Francesco Pasquali | Chair of the TCCA TETRA Industry Group (TIG)
Francesco has spent three decades shaping the critical communications landscape. Alongside his strategic leadership at Leonardo Cyber and Security Solutions and his seat on the TCCA Board, he chairs the TIG - the core business strategy group representing international industry leaders (including Leonardo, Motorola, Airbus, DAMM and Teltronic) to align standards, priorities, and end-user needs globally.

Making critical communications work in the real world.
Designing a system is one thing; making it perform reliably under pressure is another. In this episode of Making Waves, we turn the spotlight on Brazil where vast geography and extreme industrial demands reveal what truly determines the success of mission-critical communications.

 Joining us is Matheus B. Silva, COO of Alcon Engenharia de Sistemas and Kofre Tecnologia, to share hard-won lessons from the intersection of engineering, business reality, and human trust. Drawing on his experience managing hundreds of thousands of users across Brazil’s most challenging environments, Matheus unpacks:

Engineering decisions that impact long-term reliability – Why the infrastructure surrounding the tech is often the weakest link. 

Deployment and operational challenges – Navigating the "2-year rule" and the realities that only surface after go-live. 

Cost of ownership and lifecycle thinking – How high interest rates and operational scale are shifting the industry toward "Hardware as a Service."  

User adoption and trust – Why earning the confidence of the person holding the radio is as vital as the signal itself. 

Preparing systems for future evolution – How to bridge the "hybrid decade" between legacy LMR and the promise of LTE.  

This is a conversation packed with practical insights and a vital reminder that the real test of any communications system begins long after deployment.  

Timeline:
00:00:00 Key highlights
00:01:15 Introduction and guest welcome
00:02:18 Company overview: Alcon-Kofre & D1 Capital
00:03:35 The Brazilian context: Success & strategy
00:05:07 Engineering realities: Power & infrastructure
00:07:11 Business model: Hardware as a Service (HaaS)
00:14:52 The human element: Building user trust
00:17:42 The future: Hybrid networks & LTE
00:21:11 Rapid-fire round
00:27:10 Wrap-up & closing  

About:
Matheus B. Silva is the COO of Alcon Engenharia de Sistemas and Kofre Tecnologia. A leader at the forefront of the "Hardware as a Service" (HaaS) model, he and his team support over 850,000 subscribers across 8,000 networks, delivering vital communication lifelines to the largest mining and energy players in Latin America.

Discover how AI enhances critical communications, boosting situational awareness, decision support, and operational resilience while keeping humans in control and systems safe, secure, and trusted.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering mission-critical environments - but how can it create real value for the people operating critical communications systems every day?

In this episode, we speak with Paras Kulkarni and Walter Bensing from IrisNet about the practical application of AI in critical communications and mission-critical operations. Rather than exploring AI as a theoretical concept, the discussion focuses on operational impact: improving situational awareness, supporting human decision-making and strengthening resilience in environments where reliability and trust are essential.

We explore how AI helps transform large volumes of visual data into actionable insight, how human-AI collaboration enhances safety, and why trust, ethics and transparency are fundamental when deploying AI in critical infrastructure. In this episode, we cover:

• AI for situational awareness
• Decision support systems
• Human–AI interaction in mission-critical operations
• Safety, trust and ethical AI deployment
• AI in critical infrastructure environments
• Operational resilience through intelligent systems

A grounded conversation that cuts through the AI hype to explore where artificial intelligence genuinely delivers value in mission-critical communications, becomes a trusted operational tool - supporting people, strengthening systems and reinforcing operations where failure is not an option.

Timeline:

00:03:14 Introduction: AI in critical communications
00:04:38 AI as decision support and situational awareness
00:07:08 Human control, trust and legal responsibility
00:09:54 Protecting personnel and critical infrastructure
00:11:48 How AI vision systems work in practice
00:12:50 Managing complexity and reducing false alarms
00:16:01 Integration, deployment and real-world use cases
00:17:13 Trust, security, compliance and ethics
00:23:15 Rapid-fire insights: myths, risks and opportunities
00:27:11 Future outlook and closing remarks  

About IrisNet

IrisNet GmbH is a Germany-based AI company specialising in visual computing and real-time image and video analysis. Its technology enables organisations to interpret live video streams, detect events and support operational decisions while keeping data processing secure and aligned with strict privacy requirements. IrisNet focuses on practical AI solutions designed for real-world industrial, safety and critical communication use cases.

Learn more about Irisnet: https://irisnet.de/