Canada announces investment in advanced communications technology research

The Canadian Government has announced plans to invest more than $2.3m to support research into advanced communications to improve public safety.

Led by Dr Yasser Morgan, the University of Regina’s Collaborative Centre for Justice and Safety researchers will use the funding to purchase and install hardware and configure specialised software required for development and demonstration of the Public Safety Interoperability Platform (PSIP).

The platform will produce an advanced radio network that public safety agencies can plug into with their individual communications systems for sharing information by voice, video and data.

Apart from serving as the critical linking mechanism between the existing communications systems that currently are often incompatible with each other, the PSIP will also be used as a testbed for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to test new technologies for the public safety, security and wireless broadband markets.

Canadian Western Economic Diversification Minister Michelle Rempel said: "This investment will help protect our communities by improving coordination across public safety agencies while boosting the competitiveness of our technology sector."

Morgan said: "BRIC is expected to provide answers to key problems on the economics of public safety networks, security and access to information.

"We are focused on this important and high impact research to foster safer communities and safer environments for Canada’s first responders."

The creation of a testbed is expected to improve the flow of information between emergency responders, while facilitating the development of novel safety and communication technologies that will ultimately lead to improved communications, safer communities, and safer responders.

The PSIP project forms part of the University’s Bridging Research and Interoperability Collaboration initiative, which will help SMEs commercialise and sell their products in the domestic and international public safety and security markets.