In a significant step towards enhancing national emergency preparedness, New Zealand’s leading telecommunications providers, Spark and One New Zealand, have partnered with Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) and Police Minister Mark Mitchell to launch the Cellular Network Visibility Service - a tool that provides emergency services with real-time mobile network insights.
In what is believed to be a world-first, Hourua – a joint venture between Spark and One New Zealand - has integrated data from both networks, enabling emergency services to view and prepare for any planned and unplanned mobile network outages in real-time and up to two weeks in advance. This integration is crucial for ensuring emergency services devices, which rely on mobile connectivity, remain operational when responding to critical incidents.
The Cellular Network Visibility Service is the third Public Safety Network Cellular Service to be delivered through Hourua to NGCC for the emergency services.
The first of these was Cellular Roaming, launched in 2023, which allows emergency services to switch seamlessly between Spark and One New Zealand’s mobile networks – helping emergency services to avoid coverage blackspots in remote areas including when locating patients who require care.
This was followed by Cellular Priority, which ensures emergency services get enhanced quality and priority access on both networks during times of high demand – such as large concerts, major events, or natural disasters – so critical communications remain reliable when the network is congested.
Spark’s Chief Executive Jolie Hodson says, “Hourua is an important collaboration that is delivering real value for our critical emergency services teams who are saving lives and protecting New Zealanders on the front line.
“Each initiative we’ve delivered– from priority access to multi network roaming and now visibility of network availability in real-time – strengthens the Public Safety Network and ensures first responders have the reliable connectivity they need when it matters most.”
One New Zealand Chief Executive, Jason Paris says: “We’re all about helping New Zealanders be better connected. There is no greater example than using cutting edge technology to help the people maintaining our emergency services be safer and more secure by having greater visibility of mobile coverage and any blackspots. This is a proud moment for all New Zealanders.”
The Cellular Network Visibility tool was successfully trialled earlier this year during Cyclone Tam, allowing Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to immediately see the impact any network outages would have on their ability to alert and mobilise local volunteers through their app. As a result, FENZ were able to respond in a timely manner and consider an alternative way to communicate while mobile network operators deployed generators to power cell sites impacted by mains power outages.
-ENDS-