Editor’s letter

Mission statement

Land Mobile informs the complete wireless communications for business buying chain in the UK – all the way from the manufacturer to the end user.

As the leading magazine for wireless communications for business, we are commi ed to providing our readers with the knowledge they need to procure the technology and services that best meet their requirements. We do this through accurate, timely and thorough reporting of best practice, new products, industry trends and regulatory changes.

We recognise that innovation knows no borders, and neither do we in our hunt for the most cu ingedge technologies and their deployment. Whether it be in print, online, or through our social media channels, we act as a hub through which key decision makers in the industry can reach out to each other.

This market would be nothing without its people and we give them a platform to voice their concerns and share their extensive experience. We promise to tell your story honestly and without bias and to champion your interests.

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Coming back to life

Welcome to the latest edition of Land Mobile magazine, the leading resource for professionals interested in business radio and communications across the UK and around the world.

This piece is being written at the beginning of September,

following the summer of (comparative) freedom anticipated in my previous editor’s letter. While not exactly ‘normal’ quite yet, life is certainly getting back to something recognisably ‘pre-COVID’, at least for those of us who have been lucky enough to be double vaccinated. With that in mind, it also looks like we are going to see yet more signifiers of freedom moving into the autumn, not least with the continuing and very welcome return of live industry events. Without wanting to state too much of the obvious, this will not only help colleagues keep up to date with the latest technology, but also – crucially – finally give them the opportunity to get out and about.

“The return of live events is something we are celebrating in this issue”

The return of live events is something we are celebrating in this issue, specifically via the inclusion of a preview for the annual, seven months delayed, BAPCO Conference & Exhibition, taking place in Coventry in October. For everything you need to know about the show, turn to page 33.

Those who have experienced BAPCO in previous years will already be aware of how important the show is to public safety communications in the UK, particularly when it comes to providing updates on the burgeoning Emergency Services Network.

The latter is also something we are doubling down on in this issue, with one of our main news stories focusing on the recent successful testing of ESN Direct 2 functionality on the London Underground (see page 8). Staying on the subject of public safety, meanwhile, head to page 20 for an update on ‘Next Generation 999’, the umbrella term for the myriad ways the public is now able to get in contact with the emergency services, often without recourse to voice at all. Of course, it is not all public safety, as further digging about in this edition will reveal. Turn to page 16 for a report on how business comms are helping to mitigate the effects of Brexit and COVID on the transport and logistics sector. The pandemic has also played a major part in the direction of the two-way radio business over the past 18 months, as revealed in our feature starting on page 24.

Enjoy the issue.

Philip Mason, editor

September 2021 | www.landmobile.co.uk | Twitter:@Land_Mobile