Come listen to representatives from DHS S&T, Department of Justice, and the research award winners discuss the need for a Broadband Push-to-Talk Interoperability Platform, and the results of each company's respective research. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate is responsible for identifying operational gaps, conceptualizing art-of-the-possible solutions, and delivering operational results that improve the security and resilience of the nation. S&T has taken a leadership role identifying where solutions need to be created to fulfill the promise of standards compliant Mission Critical Push to talk on new LTE Networks, including FirstNet™ built by AT&T. This effort included a 2018 solicitation and award for standards compliant LMR LTE interworking, and in 2022, a solicitation for a Broadband Push-to-Talk Interoperability Platform.

S&T understands that Broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) services are now offered by a diverse group of vendors, and that agencies may utilize different PTT services which can result in obstacles to interoperable communications. The 2022 research effort seeks a broadband PTT interface solution that will provide a method to combine these diverse communication platforms while maintaining critical meta data that is needed to insure that first responders maintain interoperable communications during critical incidents and planned events. DHS awarded four recipients to this solicitation, who each brought innovation and perspective to their research and recommendations, which was completed in November 2022.