PSCE Conference: Strengthening Europe’s Public Safety Communications: Strategic Progress and Operational Insights

PSCE Conference Concludes in Milan with Focus on European Critical Communications and Public Safety Resilience.

The Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE) Conference concluded in Milan following two days of high-level exchanges between European public authorities, emergency services, industry leaders, and experts on critical communications, public safety, and operational resilience.

The conference opened with remarks from the Questore of Milan, Bruno Megale, who highlighted the strong commitment of the Italian authorities at the highest institutional level and an exceptional degree of collaboration. Discussions addressed the evolution of mission-critical communications across Europe, with a specific focus on Italy's public safety environment and its contribution to the preparation and deployment of the European Critical Communication System (EUCCS).

Contributions from the Italian Department of Public Security, the State Police, the Fire Department, and industry partners provided insight into Italy's public safety priorities and the role of secure, interoperable communications in supporting emergency and security operations. A dedicated session examined lessons learned from preparations for the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, underlining the importance of integrated operational coordination for major international events.

Technology providers, including Lyfo, Leonardo, TIM, Excelerate, Qualcomm, and Intellitronika, presented solutions aimed at enhancing mobility, interoperability, and resilience for Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) services. Further sessions explored advances such as MCX, beyond-5G capabilities, sidelink, satellite integration, and hybrid edge architectures, complemented by operational perspectives shared during the Practitioners' Session. These contributions remain particularly valuable in highlighting current challenges faced during operations, such as coverage limitations or differences in terminology affecting information exchange.

The second day focused on progress within the EUCCS preparation programme, building on the outcomes of the large-scale pilot trial conducted in Aschaffenburg, Germany. The pilot brought together responders and technical experts from 15 European countries to assess next-generation mission-critical communication technologies under realistic operational conditions. Feedback from the Operational Procedure Team and the Technical Validation Team informed follow-up discussions.

In parallel, Airbus and Teltronic shared practical insights gained from the interconnection and validation of their MCX servers within National Testbed Management environments, demonstrating tangible progress toward interoperability, reliability, and performance at European scale.

A high-level panel comprising GSMA, Eutelsat, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, and TIM examined key challenges and priorities for building resilient, future-ready communication capabilities.

The conference also featured poster sessions highlighting European collaborative projects, including Flecon 6G, B-Prepared, SYNERGISE, ARTEMIs, and SYNERGIES, illustrating the value of innovation and cross-border cooperation.

Participants visited the Questura of Milan, where exchanges with the forensic police and demonstration visits to the control room, as well as operational vehicles of the Polizia di Stato, offered further insight into Italy's operational expertise.

By hosting the conference in Milan, PSCE reaffirmed its role as a key European platform for cooperation between public authorities, emergency services, research organisations, and industry, supporting the development of secure, resilient, and interoperable communications for public safety across Europe.