Published on 04 March 2022
Seven NBN satellite dishes will be installed across Mansfield Shire for phone and internet connectivity during emergencies. The dishes and installation come at no cost to Council.
Council has successfully advocated for the service under the Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND) program, which aims to provide resilient public internet access during natural disasters.
The funding for the program was committed after the 2019-20 fires, which significantly affected public telecommunications and power infrastructure, leaving many small communities without access to critical information or the ability to connect with emergency services.
Mayor Cr James Tehan said the program would improve the ability of communities to respond to natural disasters.
“Council continues to advocate for better connectivity in Mansfield Shire and there is no time more critical for reliable connectivity than during an emergency,” said Cr Tehan.
The satellite services will work even if ground transmission networks have failed. They are WiFi enabled to provide public internet access for communities during a natural disaster or emergency. The satellite dishes will sit in stand-by mode unless activated by NBN during an emergency.
Satellite NBN will be installed at the following community centres:
Emergency Management Victoria and the Victorian Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions have worked together with the Commonwealth Government, local governments and nbn to progress the project, which has installed satellite dishes on over 300 community facilities in Victoria.