Telstra and Motorola partner to expand Tasmanian Govt Radio Network

The Tasmanian Government Radio Network (TasGRN) has been expanded to 400 sites across the island state, providing mission-critical communications for emergency responders and government personnel managing incidents and emergencies.

Telstra won the contract to build TasGRN in 2020, and it was deployed a year after.

The network was delivered through a partnership between Telstra and Motorola Solutions.

It has supported an average of 310,000 voice calls spanning nearly 1,000 hours each month over the past year.

The TasGRN system provides reliable and secure voice and data communications that better equip Tasmania's emergency services to respond to complex events including bushfires, storms and other threats to public security.

Tasmania's emergency communications system will play a crucial role in supporting safety operations during the Australasian Police & Emergency Services Games taking place this week.

"From the athletics track to the mountain bike course, the 2200 athletes that descend on Tasmania will see that our agencies are supported by a world-class emergency communications network that enables them to connect with clarity and confidence wherever they roam across our island state," Renee Oates, AP&ES Games director with Tasmania Police said.

Con Balaskas, managing director for Motorola Solutions Australia and New Zealand, explained the company's commitment to continuous improvement of the network.

"In the same way that first responders competing in these Games aim to become faster, higher and stronger, we're continuing to expand and develop TasGRN to help Tasmania's responders fulfill their mission today and well into the future," Balaskas said.

Future developments for the system include the addition of broadband push-to-talk services to enable different response agencies to communicate on any network or device, strengthening collaboration, incident awareness and safety.

Motorola Solutions provides similar mission-critical communications systems for public safety agencies throughout Australia, including Victoria's Metropolitan Mobile Radio Network, New South Wales' Public Safety Network and Queensland's Government Wireless Network.