NBN Co is encouraging NSW residents and businesses to prepare safety measures to help maintain communications during an emergency event.

The advice comes after NSW Rural Fire Service issued a Catastrophic fire danger warning for the Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, Illawarra-Shoalhaven areas and Severe and Extreme risk warnings for the remainder of the state.

Head of nbn Local for NSW and Queensland, Ryan Williams, reminds residents and businesses that equipment connected over the nbn™ access network will not work during a power outage.

“The nbn™ access network is robust, but it’s important residents are aware that services over the nbn™ network are likely to be affected by a large-scale event or power outages.

“A number of factors influence the resiliency of the nbn™ network to continue to provide uninterrupted services during a power outage. Even with network power resiliency and in-premises battery backup, power outages may last longer than the battery life.

“Therefore, we recommend local residents are always prepared to be without internet and telephone services for some time and ensure they have an emergency kit with equipment that can be used in a power outage, or if there is a disruption to the nbn™ access network, such as charged mobile phone.”

Here are some tips to staying connected in an emergency:

• Staying mobile: have a charged mobile phone and portable mobile battery pack ready to use if there is a power outage, or if your connection to services over the nbn™ access network is disrupted in an emergency event.
• Tune into local info: local radio is a great source of information during an emergency, with battery powered radios a good way to tune in.
• Backing up information: consider digital back up of important files or images so they can be accessed from anywhere.”

“In any situation our priority is supporting the local community. Our teams will work with emergency services and will be ready to repair and restore the network as soon as it is deemed safe to do so,” Mr Williams said.  

For more information visit: Emergencies and outages