Great companies don’t exist without great customers. Vodafone Ireland has some of the best, both in the private and the public sector. In all cases its role is to provide them with the connectivity they need to enhance operations. That includes the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO), which leads digital strategy, IT infrastructure and online public services across the civil and public service.
Vodafone recently partnered with the OGCIO on a ground-breaking exercise that will help ensure first responders – emergency and public service organisations – remain connected in the most difficult of circumstances, across a variety of terrains. The test took place on Clare Island this year, off the west coast, to demonstrate the use of satellite networks for reliable and responsive communications in remote emergency or disaster scenarios.
It was a first-of-its-kind test in Europe which demonstrated the potential for using integrated terrestrial networks and low Earth orbit (LEO) direct-to-device broadband satellite connectivity to maintain emergency communications during storms, power outages and in hard-to-reach areas. The trial was part of an ongoing collaboration between Vodafone and the OGCIO on priority or “mission-critical” communications, known as MCx.
Conducted in partnership with Satellite Connect Europe (the Vodafone and AST SpaceMobile joint venture company), the trial connected to AST SpaceMobile’s satellite constellation, showing how satellite connectivity on a standard smartphone could support voice and data services for frontline responders when traditional coverage is unavailable. The satellite-enabled MCx call was made by representatives of Vodafone and OGCIO to David Lund, coordinator of the European Union Critical Communications Service (EUCCS) in the UK. It marked a significant milestone for Ireland, as well as for the evolution of emergency communications across Europe.
Vodafone is one of the partners the OGCIO works with to ensure operations such as Garda Síochána control rooms and data centres have enough raw fibre to not worry about things like bandwidth constraints, explains Jim Leahy, principal officer at the OGCIO.
That made it a natural partner to work with again in relation to MCx, which the roll-out of 5G networks makes possible.
It means that first responders, who might be volunteer stewards at an event, can be given a special device, with a “push to talk” button on it, to use in case of an incident. The OGCIO recently trialled just such a device at the Cork City Marathon, for example. The idea is for it to be used in addition to the existing Tetra Ireland network used by emergency services, “which is very good”, says Leahy. What the new technology offers in addition to text and talk is “situational awareness”, he explains, delivering additional multimedia such as images and video.
“It means that where you have people heading to an incident, they are getting audio, text and video feeds of what’s at the scene, or that the command-and-control part of, say, the ambulance service, can get that information and relay it to the people heading out that way,” says Leahy. A crashed car that is upside down, for example, needs different equipment to one that remains right side up. In such cases one simple picture “is worth a thousand words”, he says.
The new system ensures first responders also get priority access to telecommunications in the event of an emergency. If you consider how many people are using their mobile phones at a concert or sports events, for example, it’s vital the network isn’t so clogged as to prevent first responders communicating. “That information needs to get out of the stadium in a timely manner,” he says.
The Clare Island test demonstrated that even without backup terrestrial services, such messages can get through to their intended targets, regardless of storms or other incidents.
“Vodafone Ireland have been championing this within Europe, because they see the value of it to responders but also to citizens, because when you have it in place, it means that if you are out and about in rural Ireland, you don’t have to have mobile coverage from a terrestrial source. You’ll be able to ring 112 for emergency services,” explains Leahy.
On the private-sector side, technology and connectivity have become fundamental enablers of growth, productivity and competitiveness at companies such as construction giant Sisk.
“Sisk is one of Ireland’s great business success stories. Founded in Cork in 1859, we have grown from a local contractor into an international construction and engineering group operating across Ireland, the UK and Europe, employing more than 3,600 people and delivering over 80 live projects currently. Sisk remains a family-owned Irish business with a long-term commitment to the communities and economies in which we operate,” says Leanne Broderick, managing director of Sisk’s regional building business in Ireland.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the construction industry, Broderick has led the delivery of major projects across the Republic and the UK and now oversees Sisk’s regional building operations, supporting clients in delivering innovative and sustainable projects nationwide. “Our success in the Irish market has been built on consistently delivering the infrastructure, healthcare facilities, commercial developments, data centres, life sciences projects and housing that support Ireland’s economic growth and competitiveness,” she says.
Today, Sisk generates annual turnover in excess of €2.6 billion globally and works with thousands of suppliers and subcontractors, creating significant employment and investment opportunities throughout the country. Technology is changing how it operates.
“Construction is becoming a technology business as much as an engineering business. Digital tools, data and AI are helping us build safer, faster and more sustainably, while giving clients greater certainty on cost, quality and delivery,” Broderick explains. Connectivity is the backbone of modern construction: “Our teams can be spread across multiple projects, locations and countries, but digital platforms ensure everyone is working from the same information, making better decisions and responding to issues in real time.”
Broderick says the days of managing projects through paper drawings and disconnected systems are gone. “Today, technology gives project teams a live view of progress, safety, quality and performance, helping us deliver greater certainty for clients.”
Sisk uses a host of digital tools to improve efficiency, collaboration and safety. “One of the biggest challenges in modern construction is getting project teams connected and productive from day one,” she says. “Traditionally, new construction sites often relied on fixed telecommunications infrastructure, with circuits taking weeks or even months to provision. Partnering with Vodafone, we addressed this challenge through the development of SD-WAN, an innovative ‘IT on wheels’ solution that transforms how projects are mobilised.”
The solution provides secure, enterprise-grade connectivity immediately upon arrival on site.
“The benefits extend beyond speed. It also enhances safety and operational performance by enabling reliable connectivity for digital safety systems, real-time reporting, remote support and cloud-based project management tools,” says Broderick. “More broadly, digital technology is a key enabler of Sisk’s strategy. By investing in AI, automation, advanced collaboration platforms and digital construction technologies, we are reducing administrative effort, improving decision making and creating safer, more predictable project delivery.”
The next decade will see AI and automation become as important to construction as machinery and equipment have been over the past century. “We’re moving towards a future where digital design, automation and real-time data create more predictable projects, reducing rework, waste and delays. The companies that embrace these technologies will deliver safer, more productive and more sustainable outcomes,” says Broderick.
That speaks to the importance of trusted technology partners. “Vodafone is a key enabler of how we operate as a modern construction business. Reliable connectivity allows our project teams, supply-chain partners and clients to collaborate seamlessly across sites, offices and countries – ensuring critical information is available wherever and whenever it is needed.”
