The New South Wales government in Australia is investing $69 million AUD to ensure connectivity to its fleet of 5,000 rural fire engines.
According to a report from IT News, the investment will see the installation of Starlink equipment on all 5,000 rural fire trucks over the next several years. Installations will start as soon as next month, and service will start soon after that.
The vehicle-as-a-node program was launched in 2023-24 as emergency services looked for a reliable backup to communication and location-finding technology already standard on vehicles.
With the new technology, fire engines will be able to easily communicate back to command centres and ensure that communities on the outskirts of traditional 4G and 5G communications will have access to reliable fire services.
In a statement, the NSW Government said:
Starlink satellite technology will enable the use of radios, mobile phones, and other handheld devices anywhere and at any time – even in remote areas or if communication infrastructure has been damaged during a disaster.
This important communication backup system will ensure that rural fire crews have the comms they need to handle bush, grass and structure fires and communicate with central command.
In addition to NSW Fire and Rescue, the government confirmed that the State Emergency Service will invest in vehicle-as-a-node tech.
