STAND

Overview
Emergency Wi-Fi rollout
Mobile black spot program
FAQs

Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND)

Overview

DFES and the Western Australian Local Government Authority are working to improve telecommunications availability and reliability by leveraging off Commonwealth, State and private enterprise resourcing and funds and directing them at priority issue resolution and improvement.

The purpose of STAND

The current Commonwealth Government’s STAND Program is delivering NBN satellite communications services to community facilities, upgrading batteries to mobile phone towers and providing portable satellite equipment for use by NBN during emergencies. This is in addition to the existing Mobile Black Spot Program, other State Government initiatives being progressed by power utilities and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and any specific improvement works being progressed by Local Governments with Telstra.

During a bushfire or cyclone, community members and stranded visitors may not have phone reception or internet access if the communications network has been damaged or power has been lost. It can be highly distressing for everyone to have no way of contacting family or friends and to have lost access to vital safety and health information resources.

Related resources

‍Dealing with power outages after an emergency
‍STAND Site Contact Information (PDF 2mb)
‍Operational Circular – STAND Activation (PDF 180kb)
‍Poster – How to connect to Community wi-fi (PDF 50kb)
‍Plaque – To be left on site (PNG 140kb)

Emergency Wi-Fi rollout

Under the Commonwealth’s $37.1 million STAND Program, Western Australia has been allocated 370 NBN satellite-connection devices to install at evacuation centres, and community facilities. During an emergency, these devices will provide internet and phone access even if the Telstra or Optus services have failed. 20 services have already been established throughout the State as part of a successful pilot program in some of our highest priority bushfire risk and cyclone-prone towns.

View the entire rollout map

Determining the installation of satellite services

To determine where the remaining 350 satellite services will be installed, we are asking every local government to apply. Applications for towns with the highest level of risk or community vulnerability will be prioritised should applications be over-subscribed.

Mobile black spot program

Another part of the STAND package provided $18 million to fund upgrades to mobile phone base stations as part of the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) across Australia.

More information on the Mobile Black Spot Program

The images shown are pictures of the battery packs that are being installed as part of Stage 1 at 108 mobile base stations across the State to increase battery life to at least 12 hours. There is also a technical specification sheet noting the improved resilience of the units. With advances in manufacturing technology, the units have been guaranteed for 10 years by the manufacturer which means the equipment performance will not degrade during this period. The batteries are also monitored and have a controller unit in place to manage power output based on the cell demand from mobile devices.

There is a second round of funding being offered by the Commonwealth and WALGA, DFES and DPIRD are already working with Telstra and Optus to identify the next upgrade priority sites. The Commonwealth will be rating all submissions based on several criteria including the cell coverage area. To ensure WA can maximise the funding allocation, we will likely prioritise feeder sites and exchanges.

Related resources

SunGEL Ultra Data Sheet (PDF 630kb)
Stage 1 MBSP Funded Towers (Excel 60kb)

Frequently asked questions

When is the installation of the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi Service likely to happen?

Installations will be planned and scheduled once applications have been assessed by the Commonwealth Government. No dates have been confirmed as yet. The Commonwealth’s funding package concludes in June 2022, and the intent is for the services to be available before the end of the calendar year.

Once applications have been assessed and finalised, nbn will compile an installation schedule for approval by the Commonwealth. At this stage, installations are expected to commence in July.

What is involved in the installation, and how long will it take?

First, your nbn approved technician will perform a signal survey to check you can receive satellite signal at your premises that the nbn approved technician determine is of good quality. Once confirmed, the nbn approved technician will mount an outdoor satellite dish in a location that the nbn approved technician determine suitable and drill a small (approximately 20cent piece sized) hole through your roof, gutter or wall to feed the cable from the satellite dish into the nbn connection box installed on an inside wall of your premises. Then for both the standard and large premises, they will install the Wi-Fi equipment in a position they determine suitable on the inside of the building. For large premises, a secured head-end cabinet will be supplied and wall-mounted and an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) unit will also be included. They’ll then test your satellite service is working.

A standard installation typically requires around two hours to complete with a single nbn approved technician but could take up to four hours depending on the configuration.

How is the installation for a site scheduled?

An nbn approved technician will call you to arrange an installation date. They will then call again two days prior to the scheduled installation date to re-confirm your availability, and again on the day to let you know when they are on their way.

What are the requirements from the site owner/representative?

When your nbn approved technician arrives, check their ID before giving them access to your premises. They’ll then discuss with you what equipment will be installed and where it will go. As an authorised representative, you must be over 18 and be present for the entire duration of the installation. If you’d like your installation done in a particular way, please speak to your nbn approved technician before they start work. Your nbn approved technician will ask you to sign a form giving your approval of how the installation will be done, and again once the work is complete to confirm the satellite service is working.

What information will we leave on site?

An nbn approved installer will fix an acrylic plaque on an exterior wall displaying Wi-Fi being available at the location. An A4/A5 laminated poster displaying the Wi-Fi name and a 1300 support number will also be fixed to an appropriate interior wall with the site owner’s guidance.

Who pays for the power to support the nbn supplied equipment

Both the satellite dish and nbn connection box are the property of nbn, but the site owner is responsible for power costs while it’s on your premises – just as you’re responsible for equipment used for your power, phone and gas services.

How much space will the satellite components take up?

The standard satellite equipment installed is made up of four components:

A satellite dish (generally 80cm diameter) and cable that connects the satellite dish to your property
A cable that runs between the nbn satellite dish and nbn connection box inside your premises
A wall outlet at the point where the cable enters your premises
An nbn connection box

In addition to these items, there will be a wireless access point which will be mounted to the roof or wall and connected to the nbn connection box via a Local Area Network (LAN) cable. For larger premises, there may also be a wall-mounted cabinet which will contain all Wi-Fi equipment, and an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) unit.

Are there any specific requirements for installation of the satellites (minimum height from ground, clearance from trees/other buildings, etc.)?

The nbn connection box will be installed on a wall inside your premises. A suitable place will be:

Near an accessible power point
In a cool, dry, ventilated area
Away from busy areas where it may be knocked and damaged.

Note: The place your nbn approved technician determines is most appropriate to install the nbn connection box and satellite dish may differ from your preferred location. Some reasons for this could include screening by trees, cliffs or other buildings. In this instance, we may need to work with your site representative to arrange suitable installation location and solution.

Will the satellite equipment interfere with radio equipment already installed at my premises?

No. Under standard operation the satellite service will not interfere with other radio equipment.

What happens in case of a power outage, equipment damage or other faults with the equipment or service?

If you have any questions or need to report a fault following your connection, please call the 1300 support phone number provided on the poster at your premises.

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If the mains power has been interrupted, can the nbn supplied equipment operate on a portable generator?

Yes. It should take between one to ten minutes for the system to reboot and come back onto the network. This will be dependant on how the site is configured with the switchover (instantaneous or if manually starting the generator).

How many people can access the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi Service concurrently?

Standard sites may support up to forty concurrent users, and for larger sites, up to one hundred concurrent users. The nbn Fair Use Policy available on demand applies at all times, and some high-demand services such as movie/video streaming will be disabled during standby (non-active emergency) periods.

What upload and download speeds can I expect on the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi Service?

The connection speed per user is capped at 2Mbps per the nbn Fair Use Policy.

How secure is my data?

The nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service operates on a safe network and offers secure internet browsing. Details on data security will also be displayed on the landing page of your Wi-Fi service.

Are there restrictions on web browsing?

There are content filtering restrictions added to the Wi-Fi service. If required a site can be raised to a higher level of monitoring.

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Can I request to have the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi Service automatically disabled overnight, or at certain times of the day?

Please speak to your local nbn representative about your requirements as they should be able to arrange this for you.

What defines a ‘Disaster’ for activation of the system?

The nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service offers internet connectivity at all times. However, during standby mode (non-disaster) periods, the bandwidth will be limited. During a disaster event when a site is required to provide community relief, the service will be switched from standby to active mode, and the full service will be available.

What defines the closure of the use of the system?

Once a disaster event has passed, the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service will be switched back to standby mode.

Is the system available for BAU activities?

The nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service will be available for day-to-day use while in stand-by mode, however this will be limited to a certain extent.

Who do I call for questions regarding the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi Service?

For any questions regarding your nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service, please call the 1300 support number.

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Will nbn pre-deploy staff to support their infrastructure?

There will not be any pre-deployed nbn staff on-site to support the infrastructure as that will be done remotely. For any questions, please contact your local nbn representative.

Does the system need to be left turned on at all times?

Yes, to enable nbn to support your service, the systems is required to be switched on at all times. By default the installations are remotely monitored to ensure availability. Some exceptions may apply with coordination.

What should I do if the supplied system causes damage to the building?

Our nbn approved technicians are accredited and will take all necessary care and precaution carrying out the installation of this equipment. However, in the event any damage is caused to the building or site as a result of the nbn Emergency Wi-Fi service, please contact your local nbn representative.

Is there annual maintenance of the system?

There is no annual maintenance required. In the event that annual maintenance is required, we will arrange for a nbn approved technician to contact you and organise a suitable date to visit to your premises. The system is remotely monitored and periodic maintenance may be required. This will be coordinated with site owners as appropriate.

Who is responsible for the costs associated with the nbn supplied equipment, the installation work and the annual maintenance?

There is no cost incurred to the States and Territories on the nbn supplied equipment, the installation work and the annual maintenance for up to 3 years.

How much does the Satellite Dish weigh?

80cm satellite dish – approx. 14kg (regular site)
120cm satellite dish – approx. 25kg (large site)

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An overview of the rollout of the STAND project, provided by Richard Burnell, Executive Director Corporate Services

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND)

Overview

Emergency Wi-Fi rollout

Mobile black spot program

Frequently asked questions