New satellite wifi at Byron Shire halls to help residents connect during floods and emergencies

SIX community halls across the Byron Shire, along with the Cavanbah Centre, have received satellite-based wifi upgrades designed to improve communications during disasters and emergencies.

The new systems are now operational at Mullumbimby Civic Hall, Brunswick Heads Memorial Hall, Marvell Hall in Byron Bay, Bangalow A&I Hall, South Golden Beach Hall and Ocean Shores Community Centre.

The upgrades were funded through the Australian government’s Strengthening Telecommunications Against Natural Disasters (STAND) program.

Byron Shire mayor Sarah Ndiaye said reliable internet connectivity during emergencies was critical, particularly in the wake of lessons learned during the 2022 floods.

“These upgrades will make it easier for people to tell loved ones they are safe, to call for help or simply to check on family and friends,” she said.

The service is powered by the NBN Sky Muster satellite network and will operate year-round, providing a basic level of community wifi that allows people to make calls and send and receive messages.

During emergencies, additional bandwidth will be activated to support increased demand and improve connectivity.

“This means that if people can’t get wifi at their homes because their network is down, they can go down to the hall and be able to use their phones,” Cr Ndiaye said.

“This is the latest in a broad range of improvements to flood resilience that Council has been delivering in partnership with the NSW and Australian Governments.”

In an emergency, residents can also access Byron Shire Council’s Emergency Dashboard for live flood camera feeds, road condition updates and other important information.