With the rain falling and the ground wet, most people are not thinking about bushfires. However, rainfall means delays in completing fire hazard reduction activities, particularly controlled burning.

As regional Australia prepares for bushfire season, Brisbane company Hypha, the critical communications firm, has commenced delivery of state-of-the-art Vehicle-as-a-Node (VaaN) technology that will be installed in 5,000 NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) vehicles.

The technology will help fight fires in communication blackspot.

The high-speed internet leverages 4G, 5G, and Elon Musk’s Starlink technology, turning Hypha-equipped vehicles into Wi-Fi hotspots for firefighters' mobile devices and internet-enabled equipment.

The result is high-speed data access for RFS personnel anytime, anywhere—eliminating communication black spots in rural and remote areas.

It means emergency staff will now be better equipped to understand and communicate life-threatening situations on the ground, with command centres, and each other, throughout a bushfire disaster – empowering first responders to make life-saving decisions.

The technology enables the latest intelligence, including geolocation data, sophisticated data feeds, and even livestreaming capabilities that were previously out of reach.

CEO of Hypha Group Neil Jamieson said the VaaN technology marks a major evolution in mission-critical communications for public safety.

“RFS and Hypha have worked tirelessly to finalise this contract and begin the rollout,” he said.

“We are all deeply committed to ensuring the safety of communities and the firefighters who protect them, and this is a significant step toward achieving that goal.”

Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service has been available in Australia since 2021 and is used by more than 250,000 Australians in remote and regional areas, including a prioritised service for RFS use.

Hypha will remotely manage the VaaN equipped vehicles to ensure the units are operating at peak performance with the latest software and interfaces to mobile data terminals and radio systems.  

In addition to its own manufacturing and software development, Hypha is proud to have worked with multiple Australian manufactures and some highly nimble international players to deliver the RFS solution.

The RFS has welcomed the rollout, which is expected to take two to three years to complete, and will accommodate various types of firefighting vehicles in remote locations.

According to the latest RFS Fire Season Outlook report, the prolonged wet weather through 2024 has limited the ability to complete hazard reduction activities, particularly controlled burning, compounding the fire risk across the state.

An RFS spokesperson said: “The Hypha team showed a deep understanding of NSW RFS operational and safety challenges, delivering an outstanding commercial and technical solution.

“We appreciate the creativity and partnership approach that Hypha exhibits and look forward to enabling our officers on the front line.”