ARCIA Kicks Off 2026 with Successful Perth Conference & WA Networking Dinner | March 2026

ARCIA Kicks Off 2026 with Successful Perth Conference & WA Networking Dinner

Last week saw ARCIA’ s first radio & critical communications conference for 2026 take place in conjunction with the WA State Networking Dinner at Aloft Perth.

Well attended and with feedback extremely positive, the conference looked at the evolving landscape, with, among other topics, MCX, LEO satellite and LMR’s co-existence discussed and explored in detail. A Consistent theme throughout the day was clear: there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Capping off the day, the evening dinner brought together a large gathering of industry professionals and end-users for networking and entertainment. The WA State Professional of the Year Award was also presented, with this year’s very worthy winner, David Deacon of Etherstack, receiving the trophy from WA committee member Ryan Page, who spoke of David’s amazing commitment in his chosen field, with the WA local’s ASX listed company achieving global success with various governments around the world in recent times, via his organisation’s in-house developed IWF for critical communications networks.

Congratulations David.

We look forward to seeing you in Melbourne at ARCIA’s Annual Gala Dinner, where you’re in the running to take out the national award, which will be announced on the night. Read more about David’s great achievements >>

ARCIA extends a huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to making this event a success.

We look forward to welcoming you back to future events.

Professional Development Opportunities

The day before the conference saw the ARCIA team deliver one of our micro-credential professional development courses, this time on LMR Antenna and Transmission Line Fundamentals & Testing. This course proved to be very popular, with a sell-out attendance.

This course will next be delivered in Sydney, the day before the NSW Conference & Dinner on 13 May – book your seats early, as places are limited>>

What’s Coming up for WA

ARCIA have some fantastic events on the horizon, and we’d love to see you there. Bookings/RSVP’s are now open for the events below.

Perth Conference Stream 2026

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Session Details and Speakers

Get to know the speaker and take a closer look at the content of each session.

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LRDR: The Resilience Layer When Everything Else Fails

Presented by: Robbie Huxley | CEO, Mobile Communications

Key Takeaways:

1. What modern digital HF/LRDR can do (voice, data, ALE/3G/4G, security)
2. How LRDR complements satellite/IP and keeps ops running during failures
3. Practical integration: HF – VHF/ UHF – LTE/ Sat via gateways (e.g., SmartPatch)

The session will draw on real regional deployments and lessons learned from operating in infrastructure-limited environments, aligning well with the conference’s focus on innovation, interoperability, and resilience.

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Selecting the Correct Point to Point Microwave Solution for Your Application

Presented by: Eddie Stephanou | Regional Technical Manager AU/NZ & Pacific, Cambium Networks

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Star Wars, The LEO Strikes Back – An impartial review of the satellite industry revolution currently under way

Presented by: Dale Stacey | Managing Director, SAT Pty Ltd

There is a revolution taking place within the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) sector of the broadband communications industry. The sector is volatile and disruptive, with implications for the terrestrial mobile networks and traditional thinking of backhaul for the carriers, for Public Safety Users and for domestic and commercial users being challenged. This sector of communications has seen exceptional growth recently, with the costs of sat comms tumbling. However, there are whispers about congestion, a bandwidth ceiling, possible increasing costs and concerns over sovereignty and weaponisation.

This presentation is a snapshot in time of now and some crystal balling as to where it will go. 

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Cyber Security & Digital Radio – Protecting Mission-Critical Comms

Presented by: Paul Whitfield | R & D Manager, Omnitronics

As digital radio systems evolve and converge with IP-based networks, the need for robust cybersecurity has never been more critical. This talk explores the unique challenges and threat landscape facing mission-critical communication systems – used by emergency services, utilities, defence, and transport – when digital radio and IT networks intersect.

Attendees will gain insights into the vulnerabilities inherent in digital radio infrastructure, including risks from unauthorised access, denial-of-service attacks, and compromised control systems. The session will highlight real-world scenarios and common pitfalls in digital radio, Radio over IP (RoIP) and dispatch integrations.

Drawing on industry standards and best practices, the presentation outlines practical strategies to secure digital radio environments, including encryption, network segmentation, secure key management, and system hardening. Whether you’re a radio systems engineer, IT security specialist, or technology decision-maker, this session will help you understand how to protect the operational backbone of your organisation from growing cyber threats.

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The Evolution of Narrowband to Broadband for Critical Communications Enterprise

Presented by: Rhys Clare | National Manager ANZ of Airbus and Director, Australasian Critical Communications Forum, Regional Chapter of TCCA

In high-risk energy and mining environments, communications are no longer just about keeping people connected—they are about keeping people alive, assets productive, and operations running. While Narrowband Land Mobile Radio (LMR) has long provided dependable voice, it cannot support the real-time data, video, and automation now required to operate safer, more efficient, and increasingly autonomous sites.

The partnership between Airbus and Capgemini is bridging this gap, orchestrating a seamless transition to Broadband MCX (Mission Critical X: Voice, Video, and Data).

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Vehicle as a Node (VaaN) – A look at how this is changing the landscape for PSMB

Presented by: Graham Tait AFSM GIFireE | Mesh Solutions Lead, Hypha

A deeper look at what VaaN is, how it is changing the landscape for PSMB current state, and what the future holds with the evolution of LEO/LTE technologies.

The discussion will look at the various use cases and current deployments, how it is being utilised today and what it may look like in the future. With the transition from LMR to PSMB, what role will VAAN play and what does this transition or addition look like for Australia?

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Responding to Communication Requirements During Emergencies

Presented by: Rob Howes | Representing the Communications Support Unit (CSU) of the WA State Emergency Service (SES), a division of the Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES).

Emergency services frequently respond to incidents in which the existing communication infrastructure has either been compromised by the emergency itself or is overwhelmed due to heightened volumes of traffic generated by response teams.

The WA State Emergency Service has formed a specialised volunteer team to deliver portable, self-contained communication solutions deployable throughout the state. The primary focus is to offer standalone repeater systems that ensure coverage for deployed response crews. Additionally, we are equipped with further resources such as HF radio, satellite-based PTT handheld devices, Starlink, and OneWeb data solutions, which can be deployed as needed.

The Communications Support Unit – responds statewide and is part of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Statewide Operations Response Division (SWORD). We provide support for fire, adverse weather and land searches, and provide communications application beyond physical infrastructure, with trained radio operators, search mapping specialists, and call centre operators during peak periods.

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The Resilient Future of Land Mobile Radio

Presented by: Ronald Martinez | Business Development Manager for Western and South Australia, Tait Communications

From Coverage to Confidence: Satellite-to-Mobile + Assured Priority for Critical Operations

Presented by: Fonz Tenaglia | Senior Acquisition Sales Specialist, Telstra

Public safety and critical industries are under pressure to do more with less, keep staff safer, and stay connected in remote and high-demand environments. This session looks at how direct-to-handset Satellite-to-Mobile messaging extends connectivity beyond terrestrial coverage, and how Quality of Service / Priority (QPP), proven at scale via LANES, helps ensure deterministic performance for critical users when networks are congested. We’ll also examine the evolution toward mission-critical broadband services (MCX) and hybrid interworking with LMR.

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Panel Discussion: The Evolving Radio and Critical Communications Ecosystem – How Disruptive are Emerging Technologies?

Moderated by: Chris Stevens

Panelists:
Dale Stacey | Managing Director, SAT Pty Ltd
Neil Jamieson | Group CEO, Hypha Limited
Robbie Huxley | CEO, Mobile Communications
Rhys Clare | National Sales Manager ANZ of Airbus and Director, ACCF, Regional Chapter of TCCA
Paul Whitfield | R & D Manager, Omnitronics

Much discussion is now focusing not only on when MCX will become the norm for critical communications right around the world, but what role satellite should and will play. Land Mobile Radio still plays a crucial role in many environments, and significant investment continues to be made by many for their communications requirements, but are we now seeing a shift that will hasten the end of LMR networks, with increasing spend on emerging technologies? 

Today, we have heard from a range of experts, with various backgrounds and opinions on currently available technologies, and now we will hear again from some of them, as we open up to our panel, giving them the opportunity to share with our audience where they see the radio and critical communications sector heading. 

Are we really seeing the demise of Land Mobile Radio, or do the numbers around the world tell a different story? Will the surge in LEO adoption curtail investment in MCX by certain users, or will we continue to see the mix of technologies we see today for many years to come, based on use case, budget, security, coverage and many other factors?

Presenter Biographies

View Presenter biographies on Humanitix.