Smooth voice and data communication has been one of the objectives of PMR Expo for 23 years. But the challenges are constantly increasing. As the leading European trade fair for safety-critical communication, the three-day event in the halls of Koelnmesse addresses the control of operational processes, emergency operations, monitoring tasks and data applications.

Secure communication is essential for the police, fire department, rescue services, authorities and organizations with security tasks. Airports, energy suppliers, utilities and waste disposal companies and nowadays also every industrial company or local public transport company as well as municipal companies must be able to rely on functioning voice and data communication. PMR Expo in Cologne reflects the special challenges faced by these organizations.

230 exhibitors, user groups and associations will be showcasing their solutions on more than 12,000 m2 of exhibition space from November 28 to 30. For the first time, the event will be organized directly together with Koelnmesse. “This change underlines the further development we have undergone in recent years,” says Bernhard Klinger, Chairman of the Board of PM e.V. “PMR Expo is becoming more broadband and we have been able to position ourselves more broadly with the help of our partner Koelnmesse.” The fundamental importance of private 5G networks will also be emphasized at the Summit and in the Connecting Area.

Koelnmesse already the target of attacks

Gerald Böse, Chairman and CEO of Koelnmesse, confirms the cooperation from his point of view: the Federal Association is contributing to the success of the partnership “as a content driver and conceptual sponsor”. 25 countries involved in the use of business-critical mobile communication came together in Cologne, which shows the importance of the topic internationally. “Our infrastructure is also critical and we have also become the target of unwanted attacks,” he adds.

Klinger emphasizes the changed framework conditions for this year’s event: “In recent years, we have already observed an increased threat situation and growing challenges for secure communication.
I would like to tell you that the situation has eased. The opposite is the case,” he concludes.

More security, availability and resilience

With a view to the upcoming event, he adds: “Security can no longer be taken for granted. Cyber attacks are on the rise and the threat from cyber criminals has increased significantly. Attacks are now the order of the day. Security, availability and resilience are the goals of exhibitors and visitors here in Cologne.”

The trade fair deals with today’s requirements for emergency and rescue services. Solutions presented at PMR Expo include systems for making the right decisions faster, obtaining high-resolution video of incident scenes or other remote situations, or gaining insight into plans and other information. “Let’s work together to prepare Germany and Europe in the best possible way for future threats,” Klinger urged the audience.

NRW’s Minister of the Interior, Reul, officially opens the PMR Expo as patron and shows himself to be a fan of the event right from the start: “You can see it straight away from the equipment on the exhibition stands. There is already visually “more power for secure communication and control centers”.

Security forces need state-of-the-art technology

“This issue is also very important for our company. We live in a time in which dangers are not getting any smaller,” says Reul, referring to the NRW Ministry of the Interior. As a more recent experience, he refers to an incident involving secure communication in aviation that just went well: “I can’t tell you how important this topic is in this area.” Ultimately, it is a common challenge to support the security authorities with state-of-the-art technology, because “everyone has their hands full in the event of a disaster or crisis”.

As a further example, he outlines the transmission of vital data to an emergency doctor in the event of an accident: “We need a secure and reliable broadband network. I don’t understand anything about the technology, but I understand that we need it. We need to make digital radio more resilient. The future lies in the broadband network. We cannot rely on commercial networks always and everywhere.

He then addressed Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser directly. There should be less talk and more funding should be made available: “I don’t need clever slogans, we also need funding for the broadband network. The expansion of the broadband network is absolutely essential. We need to communicate in a modern and secure way!” he exclaims.

Many of the events he is invited to are ultimately about the topic of safety: “Even the little ones are getting caught more and more often, and anyone who has not yet understood that there is a need for action here is beyond help,” he calls out to the audience and concludes: “That’s why I’m here. A trade fair like this is of greater importance!”