The recently opened $723.3m state-of-the-art Tweed Valley Hospital represents the largest capital health investment in the NSW North Coast region in the state's history. Importantly, this development includes critical In-Building Coverage (IBC), expanding the reach of the NSW Telco Authority's Public Safety Network (PSN), allowing first responders to access uninterrupted emergency radio communications once inside the hospital's emergency department.
IBC is an important part of expanding NSW's critical communications network, giving NSW Emergency Service Organisations (ESOs) and over 60 Essential Services access to the PSN indoors or underground during an emergency.
When a paramedic, for example, is in a building or tunnel attending to a call out, good network coverage to receive or report information about the patient or the location can be lifesaving.
With the majority of NSW Ambulance's and NSW Police Force's operational work occurring inside or near buildings and structures, IBC is a critical part of expanding the reach of the PSN to help keep people and places of NSW safe and connected.
IBC systems are placed within a building or tunnel to connect with strong signals from external PSN towers. IBC solutions can also cover areas such as road tunnels, commercial properties, recreational arenas, airports and train stations.
The IBC integration at Tweed Valley Hospital provides a critical advance to the expansion and reliability of the PSN, ensuring our ESOs and Essential Services stay connected while helping communities of Northern NSW keep safe during emergencies, both outside and in-building.
