Tasmania’s Mount Horror
Image: TasGRN
The Tasmanian government has handed Telstra and Motorola Solutions the contract to design, build, operate, and maintain the state’s radio network that will be used by emergency responders and government organisations to respond to emergencies.
Under the contract, valued at AU$567 million, the pair will consolidate five currently separated radio networks used on the Apple Isle onto the Tasmanian government’s radio network (TasGRN) that will feature broadband push-to-talk services for radios, smartphones, and other devices.
“This new radio network will be more reliable, more resilient, more secure, and will replace five separate systems so Tasmania’s emergency services can communicate with confidence to help keep Tasmanians safe,” Telstra Enterprise executive Gretchen Cooke said.
For Telstra, it is set to be the largest project the company has carried out on the island state.
Initial users of the completed network will be Tasmania Police; Tasmania Fire Service; Ambulance Tasmania; State Emergency Service; Sustainable Timber Tasmania; Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment; TasNetworks; and Hydro Tasmania.
“The new communications service will enable Tasmania’s emergency services to manage increasingly complex operational requirements — from combating natural disasters, to dealing with the evolving security landscape and beyond,” said Con Balaskas, vice president Motorola Solutions Australia and New Zealand.
“In addition to instant and interoperable communications across multiple government organisations, the contract will provide managed services to keep all of TasGRN’s critical technology, infrastructure and features up to date.
Initial contract negotiations began in August.
Construction of the TasGRN will begin next year and will take place over the next three years. User organisations are expected to commence migrating over to the new network in the 2022-23 financial year, according to the Tasmanian government.
Telstra and Motorola Solutions have previously worked together on the Queensland government’s wireless network.
Last week, Motorola Solutions landed a AU$100m extension deal with Ambulance Victoria to continue to provide emergency data communications service until 2025, with options to extend it for further two years.