Latest news with #SatelliteTXT
NZ Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Connected workers are safer workers
Staying connected at work can often mean a blur of Teams messages, texts and calls occupying the average urban office worker's day, but there are also many people in remote New Zealand where connectivity is a lifeline. Spare a thought for the six per cent of Kiwis employed in the primary sector and the four per cent of the workforce who keep the economy moving in the transport sector. Tens of thousands of us work in remote parts of the country and beyond the reach of traditional mobile and fixed-line communications networks for at least part of the day. That's why the debut of the One NZ Satellite TXT service, which is available on monthly post-paid plans to customers with eligible smartphones, is attracting so much interest from businesses. With health and safety compliance a key agenda item at board of directors meetings, company leaders are looking for additional ways to keep their workers out of harm's way, and to lend support quickly when accidents happen. The health and safety imperative Cyclone Tam recently brought natural weather events back into focus. Ralph Brayham, Executive Director at global infrastructure manager Morrison, said the issue of keeping a remote workforce safe was also top of mind in March when parts of Queensland were threatened by cyclones causing storm surges and flooding – something that New Zealand businesses also need to prepare for. When Brayham joined Morrison nearly a decade ago, the investment firm had an asset portfolio worth around $3.5 billion. Now it is closer to $50 billion, including electricity, water, and transport assets around Australasia. Morrison founded Infratil, the listed company that owns One NZ and which has renewable energy, digital infrastructure, healthcare and airport assets all over the world. 'As investors in companies that employ a lot of people as part of dispersed and remote workforces, we are constantly looking at ways to mitigate the risk of workers coming into harm's way,' says Brayham. 'Whether its ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred that hit the Queensland coast, or Cyclone Gabrielle back in 2023 in the North Island, we need to be ready for events that hamper our efforts to keep in touch with workers in the field.' That's why Brayham, a veteran of the telecommunications industry, is particularly excited about the ability to send and receive text messages via Starlink Direct to Cell satellites with One NZ. 'It offers that extra layer of resiliency that we think is really, really important,' says Brayham. While many workers, particularly in the transport sector, are equipped with GPS-based fleet tracking locators, and marine vessels often carry emergency personal locator beacons, Brayham sees satellite texting capability as democratising access to backup communications. 'If you are driving a tractor and get cut off by a landslide on a remote country road, chances are you'll have no way of letting anyone know,' he says. 'Satellite to mobile texting doesn't replace other safety communications systems, but without the need for a separate device and available on a wide range of plans, One NZ Satellite TXT certainly gives you a convenient option to reach out for help or let a friend or colleague know of your situation, you just need to be able to see the sky to use it.' Planning for disruption All Morrison's portfolio companies all have communications plans for disaster resilience, an area of focus that has come into sharp relief as more frequent and intense weather events resulting from climate change threaten infrastructure such as electricity and telecommunications networks. 'If the grid goes down, being able to check in with employees via satellite gives us all huge peace of mind,' Brayham says. 'And I'm also happy to know that when one of our companies' employees is out on the weekend doing a hike with their eligible work phone in their pocket, they also have an additional line of safety if something goes wrong. It all adds up to greater resilience and wellbeing for lots of our workers, which is a tremendously valuable thing for everyone concerned.'
NZ Herald
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Herald
One NZ's Satellite TXT used to hail emergency services after crash in mobile blackspot
'When we arrived. she was trying to get out of the vehicle and there was no cell coverage to call for help,' Bell said. 'I texted my partner in Auckland and asked him to phone emergency services and sent him my location. Police and a fire truck arrived in about 20 minutes. 'I also gave my phone to the driver to text her dad and tell him what had happened and that she was ok,' Bell said. 'Thankfully, the driver wasn't seriously injured, just really shaken. But I was very grateful to have satellite text to get some help.' One NZ's Satellite TXT uses SpaceX's Starlink network to provide coverage for the 40% of New Zealand's landmass that isn't covered by cellular networks, plus up to 12 nautical miles (22.2km) or NZ's territorial limit. Line-of-sight to the sky is required. Bell is well-placed to appreciate the advance. She's worked for Spark, 2degrees, Apple and now One NZ as an enterprise lead. One millionth text through space One launched Satellite TXT shortly before Christmas, making it one of the first telco's in the world to go live with Starlink's new service. Recent expansions have seen pre-pay customers and recent Apple iPhones added to the mix (see the full list of compatible handsets and plans here). Voice calling and data is expected to be added later this year as SpaceX launches more mobile-to-cell capable satellites. Once voice calling is live, One NZ will support satellite calls for customers of any network. Emergency services also offer 111 by text for those with hearing or speech difficulties who pre-register. One NZ's Satellite TXT supports that accessibility option (which, as with an emergency text via the regular cellular network, is only available for a customer's home network). One NZ opened Satellite TXT to all customers north of Hamilton during Cyclone Tam. Earlier this week, One NZ customer experience director Joe Goddard said more than one million messages have been sent via satellite so far. 'With morean 500 Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability now in orbit, we've seen a dramatic improvement in the time it takes for a message to send or receive through space,' Goddard said. 'The vast majority of messages are now sent and received within three minutes, with most in a minute or less.' The response times are expected to improve as more satellites are launched. One NZ has an NZ-exclusive deal with Starlink for an undisclosed period of time. The service is free for those on pay-monthly accounts, and free for a trial period (expected to expire at some point before year's end) for pre-pay customers. Pre-pay customers will pay $5 per month after the free trial ends. Other options Owners of recent iPhones (be they on One NZ, Spark or 2degrees) also have the option of using Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite service, which uses the GlobalStar satellite network, which it part-owns (and which is one of Rocket Lab's largest single customers). Apple's service had a successful real-life workout when it was used by two hikers stranded in Arthur's Pass, outside traditional mobile coverage. Apple has opened its satellite service for general messaging in North America, but as yet has no timetable for expanding it beyond emergency service for other territories. Meanwhile, 2degrees and Spark have recently inked deals with Starlink rival AST SpaceMobile - a better-funded, more advanced option than their initial punt, Lynk. Service is expected to begin next year.
