Tait Communications in partnership with Kordia, have won a contract to build and maintain a secure digital land mobile radio communications network across New Zealand, a key element of the Government’s recently announced Public Safety Network (PSN).

The overall Public Safety Network, estimated to be worth NZ$1.4 billion (US$866 million) over 10 years, will provide frontline emergency responders with a reliable, secure and capable communications system. It provides emergency responders with the ability to communicate with each other more effectively to resolve emergency incidents.

It will provide critical communications for New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, St John Ambulance and Wellington Free Ambulance with scope to add new government users over time.

With more than 450 sites, the new Tait digital land mobile radio network will be among the world’s largest-ever single systems. It will cover the vast majority of New Zealand’s population and operate on Tait’s high-capacity TN9400 P25 Phase 2 radio technology. Tait will provide network-monitoring services following commissioning. It is expected that the user agencies will require up to 25,000 of Tait’s new 9800 series multiband radio terminals.

"It is particularly meaningful to win such a substantial critical infrastructure project in Tait's home country" said Dr Yoram Benit, CEO of Tait Communications. “The New Zealand government has run an extremely rigorous process and we faced competition from the largest players internationally so this win is very gratifying and meaningful to us at Tait”. He further added “Tait Communications exports approximately 95 per cent of our products, software and services overseas so we are very much looking forward to deploying here at home Tait’s world-class solutions for New Zealand’s first-responders.”

Dr Benit praised Kordia for its contribution to the win. “Tait Communications and Kordia each bring expertise and strengths to the partnership that are complementary and together provide a total solution with almost no overlaps. Our teams are looking forward to completing the network design together and moving towards the implementation phase.”