The days of listening in on police scanners are numbered, with the new, secure Tasmanian Govermnent Radio Network active and set to ramp up to full operation by November.
In the wake of the inquiry into the disastrous Dunalley bushfires, the $763 million network will cover eight agencies which previously found it tricky to communicate in the field – everything from police, fire and SES to Hydro Tasmania.
Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis (pictured, middle) says it’s come in on time and on budget, and there’ll be a bonus to Telstra mobile coverage.
“With the new infrastructure that has rolled out across the state, including in some of our most remote areas, in partnership with Telstra, that will improve the coverage that everyday Tasmanians will be able to receive on Telstra’s mobile network,” he said.
“This is one of the largest infrastructure builds in our State’s history and means we are the first jurisdiction in Australia to have all emergency services operating on a single, secure radio network.”
