Public Safety Network (PSN) update
Following the launch of PSN Cellular Roaming service in July this year, we have now issued around 570 of our people with PSN SIMs for their FENZ work phones.
PSN cellular roaming
According to stats just in from Hourua (the PSN Spark/OneNZ joint venture), through September and October FENZ users made 412 minutes of calls, sent 384 texts and consumed 5,600 MB of data while on the OneNZ network across a total of 9,700 roaming sessions. As our FENZ phones only attempt to access the OneNZ network when there is no Spark coverage, these calls and data sessions would not have been possible without access to PSN Cellular Roaming.
Over the last few weeks, we have been contacted by some of our PSN users with questions about how and when roaming should be working for them. For FENZ, our home network is still Spark – where there is low coverage on the Spark network, the PSN Spark SIM will continue to hold on to the Spark network until there is no Spark coverage. At a point where no Spark coverage is available, the call will drop/terminate and the PSN SIM will then attempt to connect to the OneNZ network if available. You will then be able to make calls again. If there is no OneNZ coverage in that area, then the phone will continue to have no reception. More information about PSN Cellular roaming and SIM migration is available on the FENZ Portal PSN area here.
We have now distributed PSN SIMs to the majority of staff with FENZ work phones in NHQ, Te Hiku and Ngā Tai ki te Puku. Of those we have provided, just over 80% have been activated. We are now chasing those who have received but not activated PSN SIMs do so by today – this is so you have our team’s support when you migrate, should you need it. If you would like support now to get your PSN SIM activated or have questions about PSN cellular roaming, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through PSNEnquiries@fireandemergency.nz. We’re very happy to help!
After the holiday break we will progress PSN migration for FENZ work phones in the remaining Regions. We will also get underway with migration of laptops and tablets across the motu that currently have FENZ SIMs, now that we have successfully completed our pilot of laptop and tablet migrations with an initial group of users.
PSN Cellular Priority
Roaming isn’t the only benefit we will gain from migrating to PSN SIMs - via PSN SIMs, Cellular Priority will provide emergency service users with priority access to cellular coverage ahead of other users at times of network congestion or degradation, for example when there is a significant natural disaster or large public event.
Development of the PSN Cellular Priority service by Hourua (the Spark/OneNZ joint venture) is now well underway, and last month members of our team took part in a ‘class trip’ to see how this is coming along.
The Priority demonstration was held in a One NZ lab equipped with tailored production equipment to replicate real life scenarios. Those present watched Hourua engineers put Priority through its paces and were happy to see it's already showing how it will deliver the cellular connectivity emergency responders need at vital times when communities most need our help.
Hourua is currently on track to deliver the Cellular Priority service on time in late 2024.
If you have questions about any aspects of the PSN programme, visit our PSN Programme area on the portal, or you can get in touch with our team at PSNEnquiries@fireandemergency.nz – we would love to hear from you.