$178m allocated for NSW CCEP

In its recently released annual budget, the NSW state government has allocated $178 over two years to implement the Critical Communications Enhancement Program (CCEP), which aims to deliver “an enhanced Government Radio Network to improve emergency and day-to-day operational communications for NSW Government agencies and essential services”.

The program will be delivered by the NSW Telco Authority, a statutory authority within the NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, tasked with progressing sector-wide reform and delivery of government operational communications.

According to the Authority, the CCEP “is the first step in realising the NSW Government’s Operational Communications Strategy. This whole-of-government strategy outlines a new direction in the planning, delivery and management of radio and related communication services for the NSW Government sector.”

Initial work on the CCEP commenced in March 2016 and during 2016–17 year the Authority undertook three key projects:

• A pilot to extend GRN coverage in the north-west region of the state.
• A state-wide audit that reviewed over 2600 radio sites and almost 27,000 radio assets.
• Development of a preliminary design of the enhanced GRN across the majority of NSW.

According to the Telco Authority website, the CCEP is “forecast to continue over the next four years with some early enhancements being progressively achieved during this time”, and that existing and future GRN users “will soon be able to take full advantage of improved network coverage in the pilot region”.

A prioritised project for the North Coast region will commence in 2017 pending approval.

Image courtesy NSW Telco Authority.

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