Be prepared: Stay connected in an emergency

Australians are no strangers to tough times especially in a country that is susceptible to extreme weather events, often at the mercy of fire, cyclones and flooding rains. With a high risk of natural disasters coupled with the recent years of the global pandemic, there’s never been a more important time to help you stay connected through unpredictable emergency events.

Fortunately, living in a modern, digital world means Australians have the ability to equip themselves with the right tools to help safeguard themselves during a crisis. And with the help of nbn, the digital backbone of the nation, there are simple steps you can take to be well-prepared when it comes to situations of urgency and distress, with portable technology solutions.

The biggest threat to staying connected

While nbn makes every effort to identify and protect critical network assets, losing mains power is still the biggest single threat to the nbn® network. That’s because any equipment connected to services over the nbn network will not work during a power outage.

Network failure can occur due to emergencies, like bushfires, as well as events including rolling power outages, lightning strikes and other weather phenomena. While some parts of the nbn network do have in-built power back up, power outages may last longer than the battery life.

So, in an emergency or event that causes loss of power, communities need to be prepared to be without landline phones and internet services for some time.

Cameron Scott, Network Emergency Manager at nbn explains that it’s important residents are aware that services over the nbn network are likely to be affected by a large-scale event or power outage.

“We also recommend that you put together an emergency communications kit, which includes a charged mobile phone” adds Cameron.

Tips to staying connected in an emergency

An emergency communications kit can help you to stay connected in a power outage, or if there is a disruption to services over the nbn network. Here are the top three items you should consider when preparing your emergency communications kit:

1. Staying mobile

Keep a charged mobile phone and portable mobile battery pack ready to use in a power outage, or if your connection to services over the nbn network is disrupted in an emergency event.

2. Tuning in to local info

With local radio being a great source of information during an emergency, include a battery-powered radio in your emergency communications kit to tune in.

3. Backing up information

To make sure you can access important files and images from anywhere, consider creating a digital backup.

In addition to the above, it’s also important to think about your household emergency kit, which may include items such as a first aid kit, long-life food, drinking water and important medications.

“While we hope that communities never need to enact emergency plans, use an emergency communications kit, or rely on nbn’s temporary network equipment, it’s always better to be prepared” explains Cameron.

“In any situation, our priority is supporting the local community. Our teams will work with emergency services and will be ready to repair and restore the network as soon as it is safe to do so.

“And, where possible, we will use our range of temporary network equipment to support recovery efforts.”

To learn more see nbn’s emergency preparation information.