In the past First Responders and others requiring Mission Critical Communications have used their own networks based on two-way radio. With increasing demand for broadband this is no longer the optimal solution. Attempts in the past to use "Push-to-Talk" (PTT) on cellular networks have been less than optimal, but with the work of ETSI, 3GPP and other standardisation bodies, the needs of these users have been integrated into 4G and 5G standards.

This talk outlines the needs, challenges and solutions and explains how critical communications are integrating into the new standards and what directions and levels of integration we can see with other forms of Telecommunications in the future.