When the power went out in cyclone-smashed parts of the North Island, the communications network was just a few short hours away from following suit.
That meant calls to emergency services and loved ones couldn’t go out, and emergency alerts wouldn’t be received by people cut off by flooding.
It left some on the East Coast having to let families know they were safe via messages put out through TVNZ’s Breakfast.
Cellphone towers themselves weren’t damaged – but when the power runs out, the batteries inside only last about eight hours at most.
University of Auckland computer science lecturer Dr Ulrich Speidel told Q+A’s Whena Owen he’s concerned telcos haven’t invested properly in their network infrastructure.
“In terms of the telcos, they know what they can do to make their sites more resilient – they could make sure that every site of strategic significance has a diesel generator, they could look at running the site of solar,” said Dr Speidel.
Jenny-May Clarkson spoke with Te Karaka residents who have lost everything because of the storm. (Source: Breakfast)
“But all of that adds cost, and that again is something that we throw back to the consumer, and to the government to a certain extent.”
“I think they certainly have a social responsibility to their customers, and to be fair a lot of them make a lot of money” added Dr Speidel.
Communications Minister Ginny Anderson said, “there’s some work to be done in the face of more extreme climate change events.”
The farming community of Rissington felt Gabrielle’s fury. (Source: 1News)
On whether the government might regulate the sector to better invest in disasters, Anderson said she’d need more information before making a decision.
Paul Brislen, the spokesperson for the telecommunications sector, said “there will be a lot of meetings and conversations” with partners to make sure solutions are found.
Meanwhile, in a Tairawhiti community ravaged by floods, community activist Tina Ngata is calling for vastly improved infrastructure and is looking to alternative options like Starlink.
“The highest risk of loss of life is in the first 24-48 hours, and that’s when you really need to be able to check in on people, and that’s just not possible with the comms network we have.”
Ngata said the call wasn’t spurred by Cyclone Gabrielle – rather her community had been calling for improvements for years.
Over the weekend, telco crews have been working around the clock to reconnect communities, often in difficult circumstances and terrain.
Q+A is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
SHARE ME