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IWCE
Conference: March 16-19, 2026
Exhibits: March 18-19, 2026
West Hall , Las Vegas Convention CenterLas Vegas, NV
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2026 Agenda

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All Sessions Speakers

Towards Nationwide Interoperable Mission Critical Services

Walt Magnussen  (Director, Texas A&M, CACN)
Brittany Haile  (Global Critical Communications, Qualcomm)
Jesse Cooper  (Emergency Managment Specialist Domain Lead, First Responder Network Authority)
Jared VandenHeuvel  (Director, Public Safety Solutions, Texas Department of Public Safety)
Location: W223
Date: Thursday, March 19
Time: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Track: First Responders
Topics: Broadband, In-building connectivity, LMR & PTT, Network Infrastructure, Regulation & Standards, Situational Awareness, Threat Detection
Format: Panel Session
Vault Recording: TBD
Walt Magnussen
Brittany Haile
Jesse Cooper
Jared VandenHeuvel

A well-documented lesson following 9/11 was that a lack of interoperable voice communications would have a significant negative impact on the first responder's level of success. In 2001, New York City LMR communications were built in silos that made it impossible for NYC fire to communicate with NYC police. As we transition to Mission Critical Services (MCX) voice, video and data, the goal should be the establishment of a seamless, interoperable network which allows any responder on any network to communicate with any other responder on any other network with end-to-end prioritization and pre-emption. One of the significant issues that remains is how to support device-to-device communications that can replicate LMR talkaround.

The standards exist today to realize this vision, and equipment manufacturers are getting closer to providing the required capabilities. This session will describe MCX use cases for voice, video and data; DHS-funded research results in MCX performance; lessons learned from MCX interoperability in Europe, and obstacles that need to be overcome in reaching goals. This panel is made up of thought leaders in the MCX space and their views as first responders, equipment manufacturers and federal agencies. In addition, the panel will discuss Sidelink as an apparent solution to LMR talkaround.

Takeaway

  • What is the status of MCX services today?
  • Are the standards complete?
  • What are the technology gaps?
  • How do we get to where we need to be?