The resiliency of our sophisticated communications networks, the stability of the increasingly smart infrastructure around us and our first responders’ ability to communicate in a crisis situation are issues we rarely think about. Our overall safety and the ability to easily connect with others are aspects of daily life we often take for granted.

Networks which we all depend on to communicate are not impervious to national disaster or security threats. When this infrastructure is compromised, the ability to rapidly reconstitute it often means the difference between life or death.

Military forces abroad increasingly rely on sensor data and persistent cloud access to maintain real-time situational awareness in order to quickly identify and leverage tactical advantages before opponents do. For emergency first responders, public safety personnel and national guard, the lack of a stable communications network is a reality they must face when disaster occurs. Not only must they deal with food and water shortages, health hazards and protecting people from harm’s way, but they must also deal with the reliability of a communications network which can rapidly degrade. Interoperability between government agencies is a persistent challenge that is exacerbated in times of disaster when every minute counts. Future smart grids, robotic systems and intelligent transport solutions will also rely on communications networks and the need for stable and reliable communications will increase as these systems are deployed.

When networks fail and communications slows to a crawl, so do the critical services that are required to keep people safe. Effective communications and rapid response capabilities are essentially inter-dependent.