The Australian government has allocated $10.1 million to set up a taskforce dedicated to implementing a public safety mobile broadband (PSMB) service.
The PSMB capability will offer emergency services fast and secure mobile broadband services, enabling real-time access to data, images, and information, which will improve situational awareness, coordination of responses across organisational and geographic boundaries, and support cross-border communication. The government has not disclosed specific delivery expectations or milestones for the taskforce.
Additionally, an emergency warning and alert system will also be designed, built, and tested over the next 18 months and become operational by late 2024, allowing alerts and warnings to be sent to mobile phones and devices in near-real-time and in multiple languages. Communications minister Michelle Rowland believes these measures in the 2023-24 federal budget will improve Australia’s ability to manage emergencies, hazards, and threats, ultimately keeping Australians safe.