- 10-Year Extension for Victoria’s Metropolitan Mobile Radio Network
- Enhanced Coverage and Resilience with SmartConnect Technology
What happened: $500M Motorola contract for Victoria emergency network
Victoria’s emergency services will continue to rely on their dedicated radio network for another decade, following a $500 million contract extension with Motorola Solutions. The Metropolitan Mobile Radio (MMR) network, which provides critical communications for Victoria Police, ambulance services, firefighters, and other emergency responders, will be maintained and enhanced until 2035.
The contract includes expanding coverage to regional areas through a new cloud service called SmartConnect, which automatically switches between radio, broadband, Wi-Fi, and satellite networks when users travel beyond normal radio range. In addition to the technological upgrades, Ambulance Victoria’s regional units will receive 1,600 new smart radios and 750 vehicle-mounted units to enable statewide coverage and access to data applications.
Marine Search and Rescue will also join the P25-standard network in 2025, adding to the existing fleet of over 32,000 radios used by emergency services. Motorola Solutions will provide round-the-clock support through its Melbourne-based operations centre and field engineering teams to maintain the network at the highest levels of the P25 radio standard.
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Why it’s important
The contract extension is a significant step in ensuring the resilience and reliability of Victoria’s emergency communications infrastructure. The MMR network has played a crucial role in coordinating responses to major incidents, including the 2023 flood crisis and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
With over 50.5 million push-to-talk calls made on the network in the past year alone, the demand for robust and interoperable communications is clear. The introduction of SmartConnect and the expansion of coverage to regional areas will enhance the network’s capabilities, ensuring that emergency services can operate effectively even in the most challenging conditions.
This investment not only supports first responders but also strengthens community safety across the state.
