Streamlining mission-critical communications for NSW emergency services

With the increasing risk of extreme weather events including bushfires and floods, frontline responders require reliable, interoperable and resilient critical communications to protect communities and save lives now more than ever.

In the past emergency services have built, operated and maintained separate radio communications networks, creating duplication and networks that are unable to communicate with each other.

The NSW Government identified an opportunity to improve the Public Safety Network (PSN) – formerly the Government Radio Network (GRN) - by consolidating the large number of separate radio infrastructure and assets owned and operated by NSW Government agencies.

The Critical Communications Enhancement Program (CCEP), delivered by NSW Telco Authority (NSWTA), is a $1.4 billion keystone NSW Government initiative to transform public safety communications and provide first responders with the connectivity they need, when they need it.

Next to Australia’s triple zero emergency hotline, the PSN is the most critical communications network in NSW. When completed it will include over 675 sites and increase the level of shared radio coverage from less than 35 per cent to over 85 per cent of the state’s landmass, reaching 99.7 per cent of the population.

By August 2022, NSWTA had delivered 260 new or enhanced PSN radio sites, with the network now reaching around 97 per cent of the state's population and covering more than 356,000 km² – 44.5 per cent of NSW.

With a single common platform for communications, emergency and day-to-day operational communications benefit from improved network capacity and availability, interoperability and greater accessibility to mission-critical standard radio communications.

The CCEP is delivering more flexible incident response and coordination through the more efficient management of resources. Moving to a common technology platform will also pave the way for the adoption of new technologies such as public safety mobile broadband.

“This once-in-a-generation investment in radio communications infrastructure is about saving lives.”

“During an emergency, every second counts. By expanding the PSN, we are providing emergency services with the tools, to not only to do their job when and where they need to but also keep them safe.”

- The Hon. Victor Dominello, Minister for Digital and Customer Service.