NSW invests in bushfire comms gear
New South Wales Premier, Kristina Keneally, has today announced an $11.2 million funding boost for the NSW Rural Fire Service's (RFS) radio and pager networks.
(FHR Fire image by Alex Miroshnichenko, CC2.0)
According to the RFS, the $11.2 million injection will go towards purchasing additional pager equipment, including new links and transmitters for enhanced coverage and a more robust and reliable paging network.
"The funding will also allow the RFS to continue to upgrade the P25 radio network to provide better audio quality and a more reliable radio network," the RFS told ZDNet Australia in a statement today.
The cash comes as a part of the state's push towards ongoing bushfire protection measures, in an effort to stave off events like Victoria's "Black Saturday" disaster.
"It is incumbent on us to learn from Victoria's terrible Black Saturday experience, which is why we're boosting vital services across the state with this $106.9 million bushfire package," the premier said today.
The P25 network recently copped flack when National ICT Australia (NEHTA) researcher Steven Glass told ZDNet Australia that with adequate resources, the 56-bit encryption protecting the network could be penetrated within a week.