The Lismore App is publishing a series of news stories titled 'Flood Readiness - Are We Better Prepared?'

Twenty-six months after the 28 February 2022 natural disaster redefined our way of life in living with floods, we are looking into different sectors and organisations to see what changes, if any, have been made to make them better prepared when the next big flood hits.

Yesterday, we looked at the electricity supply with Essential Energy Flood Readiness: Are We Better Prepared? - Part 1 Essential Energy. Today's story is about Communication.

This story will be split into two parts as there are a lot of communications providers. This series covers key organisations that play a vital role in pre-flood warnings and in the rescue & recovery after a major flood. We are asking those organisations to let us know how the 2022 floods and Flood Inquiry have changed their procedures and processes so people will experience better outcomes.

So we know what to expect when the unexpected happens next.

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The first thing we tend to do when things start to go awry is to look at our phones. Check the weather, call on loved ones, look up the calendar and check the socials to see how everyone else is going, bolster spirits and maybe have a chuckle before, or in case things get real.

As weather events worsen, our dependency on the ability to contact others deepens. When we are cut off, we are cut adrift. Reliance on self and immediate resources and the risk becomes paramount so when the loss of communications comes, it is in our best interest to re-establish it as quickly as possible.

The vital capability and response of telecommunications companies puts us in touch, reduces anxiety and saves lives.

So let's begin by looking at their ability to communicate with us… We reached out to Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom (Vodafone), as well as NBN to get a rounded sample of what you can expect.

Ironically, we found that not all communication is considered equal. 

TELSTRA

Telstra has the largest customer base in Australia, so they play a vital role during disasters. Telstra seemed to miss the point of the questions - they sent information but did not answer the questions necessarily in the spirit of what was asked of them.

Instead, a Telstra Spokesperson confirms what we know:

“The severe weather and flooding that hit northern New South Wales in 2022 was like nothing these communities had experienced before, cutting power, access and utilities to a number of communities for weeks.

 “We have a significant local presence in the Northern Rivers and we had a team of technicians out restoring services as soon as it was safe to do so.

 “All telecommunications providers need access and power to bring services back online and assess whether there has been any damage to our network.

 “Many of our network sites have backup generators or batteries that can keep services online for a period when power is cut but many areas were inaccessible or without power for several days, even weeks.

 “We worked with power companies and local authorities to access the affected areas so we could get to work to bring services back online. We also worked with nbn co to ensure our nbn customers’ services were restored as soon as possible.

 “We have temporary mobile facilities available that can be used in appropriate situations, and we deployed a number of them to affected northern New South Wales communities, including Woodburn and Uki, to ensure customers had some mobile coverage while repair work was undertaken in the area.

 “Temporary mobile facilities do have the same limitations of requiring power and access to an area in order to be deployed and we carefully and constantly assess where and when they may be able to help.”

When asked about how the many recent investments from the government have been spent, we were told, “Regarding our mobile investment and co-investment in the Northern Rivers:

“Since FY20, Telstra has invested more than $23 million in our mobile network in the Richmond & Page electorates, as well as co-invested with the Federal Government to deliver 39 additional projects across the region.

“We continually investigate new opportunities to further expand our mobile coverage and we have several projects between Pottsville to Coffs Harbour in the pipeline that will provide additional coverage across that stretch of the M1 as well as townships such as Bangalow and Newrybar.”

Telstra provided two links to information. One from March 2022, explaining how they rebuild their network after disaster strikes. This is a little before the 2022 Flood Inquiry, so one can only assume their latest information or response does not consider the region's experience in disaster. It’s a 3 minute read if you would like to understand more.

The second link was written in November, 2023 on how they are supporting us this disaster season. They do provide us with some ideas and projects they are working on that may improve the communications services, for example, emergency roaming. This means that when an emergency strikes, no matter who your service provider is, your phone will be able to access any mobile network available. Testing was happening, as of late last year, but no progress update was included.

Also discussed was a provision for 100GB of extra data to those in disaster areas, upgraded payphones (which are now free), a new Telstra Response team and or Telstra Disaster team, portable generators and the use of Elon Musk’s Starlink service by these teams.

More updated information on these support services has been requested.

(Telstra Response team using Starlink)

OPTUS

Australia's number two communication carrier by customers is Optus. Optus NSW Territory General Manager, Chris Simon, said, “Optus appreciates how important connectivity is for our Northern Rivers communities, including Lismore.” 

“Optus’ priority during a natural disaster is the safety and wellbeing of our customers and people.”

Mr. Simon also informed us that Optus liaises with “the BOM and emergency services crews ahead of any serious impending weather event and prepares for potential natural disasters by moving personnel, equipment such as fixed generators, trailer-mounted generators and SatCats into impacted areas, however particular details on how many, when and where were not included.

“Ahead of a natural disaster, Optus stages generators, checks Sat Cats, resupplies fuel as needed and engages with local disaster management groups to consult on preparedness.

“Our field staff are trained in power recovery and use of equipment, and will work closely with the relevant emergency services to get safe access to affected sites and restore services.”

In regards to future safeguards, Mr Simon states, “Optus has upgraded the NSW Northern Rivers network system after the 2022 Northern Rivers Floods.

“A unique backup battery solution, called Critical Power eXtenders, has also been rolled out to the community. This will:

o  Ensures mobile sites have mains power and remain connected.

o  Ensure mobile sites can operate for an additional 10 to 20 hours of service if the transmission hub’s power grid fails.

o  The extra 10 to 20 hours gives power authorities the critical time needed to restore services or allow Optus to access a site safely with a portable generator, especially if the area is impacted by extreme weather or natural disaster.

“New or updated Optus sites that were impacted by water in the devastating floods have now newly installed equipment stilling higher up on the equipment to provide height protection from floods.”

Mr Simon also includes the following tips on how to stay connected in an emergency:

·         Simple, but most important – make sure your phone is fully charged.

·         Conserve battery power where necessary.

·         Keep your phone in power saving mode.

·         Charge any battery packs for extra back-up charges.

·         Back-up your data in the cloud so you don’t lose important personal photos and data.

·         Have your emergency phone numbers saved in your phone or written down.

·         It is ideal to communicate before a weather event hits to someone outside of the impacted area, letting them know if you have plans to stay or evacuate, and their exact location if they plan to stay.

As we know, communication is a vital means of personal safety both before and after a major natural disaster.

In Part 2 tomorrow, we look at the responses from TPG Telecom and NBN.