THE Phil Renkin Recreation Centre will now be able to offer community Wi-Fi for people to access emergency information and contact friends and family if it ever needs to be used as an evacuation centre during a emergency such as a bushfire.
An NBN spokesman said during an emergency a free public Wi-Fi connection, powered by nbn® Sky Muster Plus satellite broadband – and available to all members of the community irrespective of their usual internet service provider – would be provided by one designated internet service provider.
The service will enable people to stay up to date with local news reports, weather and emergency updates and connected with family and friends through, for example social media and Wi-Fi calling applications.
He said people accessing the Phil Renkin Recreation Centre at Two Rocks would simply need to accept the use terms and conditions that appeared on their device to access free Wi-Fi provided by the nbn® Sky Muster satellite service and the designated internet service provider.
“The service is designed to provide in-building coverage,’’ he said.
The NBN spokesman said the WA Government nominated Two Rocks as a small installation under the STAND program.
“The service at (Two Rocks) is connected to mains power.”
Yanchep News Online asked if the service would include a back-up power source as Two Rocks and Yanchep are in bushfire prone areas and not all the power was underground.
He said as a small installation it did not include a back-up battery.
“In the event that mains power to the site was interrupted, a generator would need to be installed,” he said.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland announced the new NBN Sky Muster satellite service for Two Rocks on Monday.
“The project in Two Rocks is one of 1051 delivered so far under the program, with the remaining projects to be completed by November 2022,’’ she said.
“While no network can ever be 100 per cent disaster-proof, these investments will go a long way towards ensuring local residents can stay connected in the most difficult times, especially to access potentially lifesaving information and advice.”
Pearce MHR Tracey Roberts said the project is a major boost for Two Rocks and would help minimise the risk of local communications network disruptions when natural disasters struck.
The satellite service in Two Rocks was installed about a month ago and Yanchep News Online understands it will accommodate up to 50 concurrent users accessing speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
