New Zealand’s new Public Safety Network (PSN) is the largest investment in the pacific nation’s critical communications national capability in decades. The PSN will enable the country’s emergency services to share the same suite of integrated technologies for the first time, improving their interoperability, safety and effectiveness, and helping ensure readiness for everyday and large-scale natural emergencies. Existing analogue radio networks are being replaced with a single nationwide secure digital radio service using Project 25 (25) Phase 2 standards-based technology. Now in use, the PSN provides multi-network priority cellular broadband capability to responders in urban, state highway and rural areas. The PSN will continue to develop products and services useful to the emergency services and extend value across the emergency management sector.

Takeaway

During the session, the audience will learn the following:
• Details about the NGCC governance board, a unique cross-agency entity involving a core government agency (Police), a crown entity (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) and two non-governmental organizations (Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance), which together form the Emergency Services.
• Details on the 2024 deployment of the pilot network in South Canterbury consisting of eight digital radio transmission sites and the first component of a new US$866 million P25 network, which includes more than 450 sites and rugged terrain.
• How the 10-year P25 Phase 2 project will work in tandem with multiple cellular priority services and the latest developments of the cellular service rollouts.
• More about the interoperability, encryption, situational awareness, and communications advancements the PSN will bring to the 5 million New Zealand residents and 3.8 million annual tourists.