Published on the 24/11/2022 | Written by Heather Wright

Tait, Kordia, Spark and Vodafone beat global vendors to 10-year contract…

New Zealand’s 35,000 emergency services staff are getting a new first responder digital communications network – with Kiwi companies snapping up the deal to build the $1.4 billion network.  

The network will have two key components – a digital land mobile radio network allowing emergency services to reliably communicate with each other, and prioritised cellular services and roaming to increase connectedness to mobile broadband, particularly when mobile networks are congested or degraded.  

“We acknowledge their internationally recognised skills and experience.”

A joint venture between Christchurch technology company Tait Communications and state-owned infrastructure provider Kordia has won the contract to build and maintain the radio communications network.  

Hourua, a joint venture between Spark and Vodafone NZ (soon to be One NZ) meanwhile was the successful bidder for the prioritised cellular services and roaming solution. 

For Kiwi companies, it’s a welcome change from New Zealand dollars going to offshore companies.  

The deal is the second large technology deal announced in recent weeks. The $1.3 billion deal to build and operate the public transport single payment system went to United States company Cubic and sparked a new round of questions over government’s lack of ‘buy NZ made’. 

Last year then Orion Health chief executive Ian McCrae launched a scathing attack on the government’s Covid-related IT decisions, calling for an audit into the up to $38 million spend on the National Immunisation Service platform. He claimed at the time that Covid had been used to ‘flout’ procurement processes – cutting local companies like Orion out of the work. 

The procurement process was led by Next Generation Critical Communications – made up of representatives of the four emergency services, independent experts and specialists, and headed up by former Air NZ CEO Rob Fyfe as chair – and Crown Infrastructure Partners in what emergency services bosses called an ‘extensive global search and robust procurement process’. 

Yoram Benit, Tait Communications chief executive, agrees, saying the tender process was ‘extremely rigorous’ with the companies facing competition from ‘the largest players internationally’. 

In a statement, the bosses of New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance said it gave them ‘enormous confidence’ to know the Public Safety Network has been designed to operate as the ‘last network standing’ in the event of a significant natural disaster and that emergency services will have priority network access in such an event where there is congestion and degradation.  

“We welcome the vendors who will build and manage the Public Safety Network and acknowledge their internationally recognised skills and experience. 

The public safety network will begin rolling out from next year and will include new radios for workers and in vehicles across Police, Fire and Emergency NZ, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance in what Police Minister Chris Hipkins says is the ‘most significant advance in New Zealand’s public safety communications in decades’. 

It will provide a single secure digital radio network and improved mobile broadband to help meet the ever-increasing data and information needs of frontline staff.  

Currently, network access is fragmented and patchy, particularly in more rural areas.  

Kordia says it will be responsible for installation of infrastructure and maintenance of more than 450 sites, with its Network Operations Centres also monitoring network infrastructure 24/7. 

“Our unique experience in building, designing, maintaining and operating specialist networks in New Zealand means we’re well versed in how to deliver solutions of this critical importance and magnitude,” Kordia chief executive Shaun Rendell says.  

“Tait share our in-depth understanding of critical communications eco-systems, as well as a commitment to working collaboratively with customers to provide innovative solutions that will make a tangible difference in enhancing emergency services’ frontline communications.” 

On the prioritised cellular services side, Spark and Vodafone say communications over the Public Safety Network will be highly secure and highly resilient with priority given to emergency communications through the use of LTE quality of service, priority and pre-emption network features.  

“This will ensure that emergency responders are able to keep in touch on the phone as well as using apps that are required to deliver their roles effectively.” 

Mark Beder, Spark New Zealand chief operating officer, says the roaming solution which has been created increases coverage beyond what is available on either Spark or Vodafone’s networks alone and ensures a fallback option if one network experiences disruption.  

Tony Baird, Vodafone New Zealand wholesale and infrastructure director, says the Hourua joint venture brings together the best of both companies to provide a service with increased mobile coverage maximised reliability of services and increased resources where needed in emergency situations 

Hourua can be translated as double waka, with the companies saying it represents Spark and Vodafone binding their two waka together, joining capabilities to deliver the service.