UK SPF Cluster 2 event round up: Public protection and disaster relief (PPDR)
The UK Spectrum Policy Forum (SPF) Cluster 1 recently convened a hybrid Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) cluster event in Glasgow, chaired by Bob Stewart, University of Strathclyde and UK SPF Cluster 2 Chair. Presentations covered commercial and private 4G/5G mission-critical communications, airborne and satellite solutions, public sector resilience strategies, rapid-deployment networks, and real-world island case studies.
The event opened with an overview of PPDR’s purpose: ensuring that emergency responders can communicate during crises such as storms, floods, fires, or security incidents. With society increasingly reliant on digital networks, ensuring resilient, priority driven communication channels has never been more important. Speakers—representing major operators, national digital agencies, research institutions, and equipment manufacturers—examined the challenges and innovations shaping the future of PPDR.
Evolving Models for Emergency Communications
The event explored how commercial mobile networks are adapting to serve mission critical users. Speakers highlighted the journey from older generation networks—known for their high reliability but limited functionality—to modern 4G and 5G architectures, which offer greater speed and flexibility but require new approaches to guarantee service quality during emergencies.
A central theme was the shift towards Mission Critical Services (MCX) and network slicing. These technologies allow operators to prioritise emergency traffic over consumer use, ensure group communication performance, and maintain strict quality of service guarantees. The use of hybrid models—where emergency services retain their own secure core infrastructure while leveraging commercial radio networks—was also highlighted as a cost effective path to nationwide reach.
Another significant development shared on the day was the integration of satellite connectivity directly into emergency devices. This approach offers a safety net when terrestrial networks suffer outages, providing responders with continuous coverage even in rural or disaster stricken locations.
A National Approach to Resilience
In Ireland, a nationwide PPDR strategy saw the building of a modern fibre backbone and distributed 4G/5G cores owned and operated by the state. This model ensures that key agencies—from hospitals to emergency responders—have access to highly resilient bandwidth and overlapping coverage.
Overlapping commercial, private, and satellite networks form a “resilience mesh” designed to withstand major incidents. Satellite connectivity, previously seen as a last resort, has now become a primary backup after storms exposed the fragility of single point of failure infrastructure. Lessons from these storms triggered new investment in satellite systems, nationwide prioritisation capabilities, and cross border interoperability with neighbouring emergency networks.
Research specialists provided a look into private 5G networks designed for rapid deployment. These portable systems—battery powered and small enough to transport easily—can provide localised coverage in challenging terrain or during events where public networks are congested.
Even more striking were airborne 5G solutions involving tethered drones and lightweight aircraft. These “radio cells in the sky” can be deployed to create immediate coverage bubbles, ideal for disaster zones where ground infrastructure is damaged or inaccessible. Network APIs add an additional layer of control, allowing real-time management of bandwidth and prioritisation during live operations.
A Multilayered Future for PPDR
Developments in 5G Sidelink technology enable devices to communicate directly without relying on any network infrastructure. This capability is crucial for scenarios where towers, backhaul, or fibre links are unavailable. Early trials demonstrate support for relay, mesh networking, and high user density—providing a platform for future integration with satellite and terrestrial systems. Commercial grade solutions are expected later this decade.
The final presentation shared a powerful case study from a remote island community that experienced a complete communications blackout after a major storm. With mobile networks, fibre links, radio, and TV services all down, the community faced 46 days without reliable connectivity. Emergency satellite terminals and a locally run wireless network became the lifeline that restored essential services.
The experience underscored the importance of local empowerment, alternative backhaul solutions, and flexible regulatory support, especially for rural and isolated areas.
The closing panel agreed that no single technology can deliver perfect resilience. Instead, the future of PPDR lies in blending commercial networks, satellite links, private 5G systems, airborne platforms, and direct device-to-device communication—supported by adaptive regulation and community involvement.
The event highlighted both the challenges and the immense potential of new technologies to safeguard communication when it matters most.
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Sophie Greaves
Sophie Greaves is Associate Director for Digital Infrastructure at techUK, overseeing the Telecoms Programme, the Data Centres Programme, and the UK Spectrum Policy Forum.
Tales Gaspar
Tales has a background in law and economics, with previous experience in the regulation of new technologies and infrastructure.
