Next-generation public safety communications must be reliable, seamless, and built for real-world challenges. This session will dive into key insights from the past year’s discussions with public safety stakeholders, covering LMR/broadband interoperability, mission-critical data transmission, and managing background noise in critical environments. We’ll also explore mission-critical voice quality of experience (MCV QoE) research, including broadband’s impact on NIST PSCR metrics, and QoE implications for first responders, particularly in encrypted LMR traffic. Join us as we examine emerging research and innovations, including AI’s growing role in enhancing reliability and efficiency in mission-critical environments.