Latest news with #PaulBrislen
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Rats, not weather, to blame for Golden Bay's mobile phone and internet outage
Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii It has been revealed rats rather than bad weather were responsible for a mobile phone and internet outage in Golden Bay on Thursday. The severed fibreoptic cable at Uruwhenua Bridge on State Highway 60 knocked out connection to about 1100 households and sparked concern with residents unable to access 111 emergency services. The Telecommunications Forum confirmed rats chewed through the wire. Chief executive Paul Brislen said it's not uncommon to have rat infestations around fibre lines. He wanted the government to look at prioritising upgrades to the 111 emergency phone line. Chorus said the fault had impacted 350 copper connections and 800 fibre connections. It brought in technicians from other areas to help find the fault as quickly as possible in difficult weather conditions. "Our field teams have quickly mobilised to the fault site and are working to identify the cause of the outage," it said in a statement on Thursday. "Priority will be given to faults that affect multiple customers or involve medical or emergency needs. "Additionally, because Chorus' fibre network supports many of New Zealand's mobile towers, restoring mobile coverage is also a focus." Chorus apologised to affected customers for the inconvenience caused by the outage. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Calls for government to prioritise upgrades to emergency phone-line
Loss of the 111 emergency services is nothing new. Photo: Supplied/ Unsplash - Árpád Czapp The head of the Telecommunications Forum wants the government to look at prioritising upgrades to the 111 emergency phone-line. Along with mobile and internet coverage, the service was lost in Golden Bay for most of the day on Thursday, after a slip cut a fibreoptic cable. Eight-hundred fibre connections and 350 copper phone-line connections were brought down in the morning, and repairs to the cable weren't completed until mid-afternoon. All but 20 copper connections had been restored by 4.45pm and were confirmed restored less than an hour later. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) said extreme weather could impact communications networks. "Telecommunications providers are working hard to restore the services that have been impacted," it said. "Technicians are on the ground to repair telecommunications equipment that has been damaged and generators are being deployed to the area to serve as a back-up power supply." Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen told RNZ the loss of the 111 emergency contact service was nothing new. "111 isn't a separate network, it is simply a phone number on the phone network," he said. "It is carried in a slightly different way to all other phone numbers, but it is just a phone call." People caught without service had a range of options. "The 111-calling connection is quite smart, so even if your phone says you've got no signal, if you need to make an emergency call, you should absolutely try," Brislen said. "What it'll do is find any network, so if you're with Spark or One or 2degrees, and that network isn't available, it will find one of the others. It'll even connect via Wi-Fi to a landline connection, if you have Wi-Fi calling capability on your phone." However, if the call failed, the whole network was likely down and people should try something else, instead of calling again. "As has always been the case, you move to a place where there is a phone that you can use," Brislen said. "In the old days, before mobile, that meant driving over the road to somebody else or going next door, or heading into town, if you were remote. "With mobile service, of course, quite often, you can find connectivity at the top of the hill or not too far away." Tasman Civil Defence urged those who could not connect to 111 to travel to the nearest police or fire station. Brislen said the 111 emergency line needed upgrading, particularly its ability to receive messages other than voice calls. "In this day and age, you've got a lot of devices that will make contact with the call centre," he said. "Various car models will call, if they have an accident. "If you drop your phone, when you're on your motorbike, it will ring for help - that kind of thing happens all the time. "We've got this whole new wave of modern technology coming through, being used already by consumers, and it's very hard for the call centre to accept those inputs. Text messaging would be an absolute case in point - sometimes you're not able to make a phone call, but a text message will get through." He said the problem was not needing higher speeds, but rather upgrading the police-led call centre. Police documents last year revealed the outdated system caused deaths and injuries . The previous Labour government in August 2023 scrapped a project to replace it and the coalition has so far declined to restart it . Brislen said an upgrade would be a "very complex and very expensive programme of work". "I'd encourage the government to have a look at prioritising that and making the call centre into more of a 'contact centre', so that you can communicate more directly with emergency services, when you need to. "Making the decision to spend the money on a call centre for police may or may not be seen as frontline [or] vitally important, but I think probably we're reaching the point now, where you have to say it absolutely is." RNZ has sought comment from Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell. On the upside, MBIE said the phone networks were bringing in new technology to connect via satellite, saying this would "significantly improve the resilience of telecommunications networks". "All the mobile network operators are working with satellite operators to deliver satellite-to-mobile voice calling, allowing ongoing connectivity even when terrestrial networks are down." Brislen said the low-Earth orbit satellite technology would hopefully allow text messages and voice calls, via satellite, direct from a mobile phone, which was "sort of the golden egg... the holy grail of these things". "Starlink, for example, is one of the early players in that market," he said. "You'd be able to get a call up to a satellite or bounce a call off the satellite, even if you've got problems with the equipment on the ground in many cases. "That is really incredibly useful in events like this. "In that scenario, you should be able to make an emergency call from anywhere you've got clear line of sight with the sky." Telecommunications network companies like Chorus were constantly upgrading cables and particularly the fibre networks. "They now are looking at a programme of work," he said. "Instead of a point-to-point connecting to cities, you do a loop, so if half the cable is knocked out, for example, all the traffic is connected via the other side of the cable." The companies had providing a resilient and reliable network as part of their business model, and Brislen said they took that role "very seriously". "The key is to have multiple different types of networks that don't have a single point of failure. We've got four in New Zealand - we've got fibre, mobile, fixed wireless connections and now this new one of satellite. "No one single technology is perfect for all situations, but having that mix of four different technologies means, hopefully, one way or another, the call will get through." Brislen rejected the suggestion copper lines networks were still needed, noting New Zealand would phase them out "by the end of the decade". "It's not very resilient at all," he said. "It is seven times more likely to to be damaged in an event. "How copper lines work, you're sending an electrical signal up and down them, and when that gets wet, it basically short-circuits the entire connection, so they're very, very prone to breaks, they're very prone to damage during a weather event, in particular. "They cost more to repair and they take longer to repair as well, so all around the world, copper is being phased out. It's had its day and it really just doesn't deliver any of the things we need. "It's not fast enough, it's not mobile enough and it's not resilient enough." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
15-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Telecommunications Industry To Review Scam Prevention Code With Consumer Focus
The New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF) today announces it will commence with a review of its Scam Prevention Code. Since its inception, the Code has played a key role in improving the sector's response to preventing scams and anti-scam sector collaboration. The purpose of the Code is: To reduce the volume of scam calls and scam SMS, stopping them as close as possible to the source. Coordinate sharing of scam call and scam SMS information within the sector and with other third parties. Minimise the risk of harm to New Zealand consumers from scams. Define how retail providers, network operators and A2P SMS partners identify and communicate scam calls and SMS with each other. To educate consumers on scam awareness and protections. The Code ensures telecommunications providers have in place mechanisms to detect, verify, block, and report suspected scam activity. Alongside the telecommunications providers signatories there are currently nine non-telecommunications organisations who have signed a memorandum of understanding to the Scam Prevention Code, including most of the major New Zealand banks and key government agencies. This agreement enables non-telecommunications organisations to submit scam SMS and call notifications to telecommunications providers for investigation who can then take action to block messages that may harm New Zealand consumers. As scam tactics evolve and consumer harm persists, the TCF has committed to reviewing the Code to ensure it is still fit for purpose and incorporates the new anti-scam initiatives that telecommunications providers are implementing today. 'The Scam Prevention Code has helped create a robust framework for industry-wide cooperation. But scams are becoming more sophisticated, and the impacts on everyday New Zealanders are increasing,' says Paul Brislen, Chief Executive of the TCF. 'This review will ensure we maintain a high standard of technical response, while also strengthening the Code's accessibility and relevance to consumers.' The review will focus on incorporating feedback from the Ministerial roundtable that has been set up to coordinate activity between industry, law enforcement and government. The TCF plans to also review consumer education and reporting mechanisms to better support public awareness and response to scams. Hon Scott Simpson, Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Government's lead anti-scam Minister, says: 'Combatting scams is a joint effort, requiring strong collaboration between all the players in the 'scam ecosystem'. It's essential that New Zealanders feel safe and confident when using telecommunications services, and I welcome the Telecommunications Forum's proactive steps to align industry action with the needs and expectations of consumers.' The revised Code will be developed with a view to engaging more closely with digital platforms – a key partner in the fight against scams. 'Enhanced cross-sector coordination is essential to counter the increasingly complex scam landscape. By sharing insights, intelligence, and best practices across sectors, the TCF aims to build a more unified national response that better protects New Zealand consumers from harm,' says Paul Brislen.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
3G Shutdown: What Devices Are Affected, And How To Upgrade
Article – RNZ Consumers are being urged to get ready ahead of the shutdown of 3G mobile networks from the end of the are being urged to get ready ahead of the shutdown of 3G mobile networks from the end of the year. Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen said most New Zealanders were already using 4G or 5G-compatible devices and would not need to take any action. However anyone with a 3G-reliant phone or device may be affected, including tablets, medical alarms, security alarms, business equipment, vehicle trackers and other devices connected to the internet. 'The 3G shutdown is a positive step for our digital future, but it's important that anyone with 3G-reliant phones or devices checks now so they can stay connected,' Brislen said. Consumers can text '3G' to 550, free of charge, to check if their device will work after the 3G network was switched off. Spark announced it would close off its 3G network on 31 March, 2026 and was upgrading 3G-only cell towers to 4G and 5G technology. While affected customers would be receiving direct communication from Spark, it issued a list of common devices likely to be affected. iPhone 6 Huawei Y5 HMD Global Nokia 3310 Mobiwire SAS Pocket 2 Oppo A5 (AX5) Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro iPhone 5S Alcatel 1B Brislen said consumers who need to upgrade to a 4G or 5G compatible device should recycle their old handsets through recycling service RE:MOBILE at 'Mobile phones contain valuable materials that can be reused, as well as components that are harmful to the environment if sent to landfill.'
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Scoop
3G Shutdown: What Devices Are Affected, And How To Upgrade
Consumers are being urged to get ready ahead of the shutdown of 3G mobile networks from the end of the year. Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen said most New Zealanders were already using 4G or 5G-compatible devices and would not need to take any action. However anyone with a 3G-reliant phone or device may be affected, including tablets, medical alarms, security alarms, business equipment, vehicle trackers and other devices connected to the internet. "The 3G shutdown is a positive step for our digital future, but it's important that anyone with 3G-reliant phones or devices checks now so they can stay connected," Brislen said. Consumers can text '3G' to 550, free of charge, to check if their device will work after the 3G network was switched off. Spark announced it would close off its 3G network on 31 March, 2026 and was upgrading 3G-only cell towers to 4G and 5G technology. While affected customers would be receiving direct communication from Spark, it issued a list of common devices likely to be affected. iPhone 6 Huawei Y5 HMD Global Nokia 3310 Mobiwire SAS Pocket 2 Oppo A5 (AX5) Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro iPhone 5S Alcatel 1B Brislen said consumers who need to upgrade to a 4G or 5G compatible device should recycle their old handsets through recycling service RE:MOBILE at "Mobile phones contain valuable materials that can be reused, as well as components that are harmful to the environment if sent to landfill."
