Indara wins Australian government funds for telco resilience project

Mobile Network Infrastructure Provider (MNIP) Indara Digital Infrastructure is set to receive Australian government funding to enhance the resilience of eight crucial tower sites against natural disasters. The allocation is part of the Albanese Government's push for more robust telco resilience within regional, rural, and remote areas, as well as First Nation communities.

The funding is part of the Albanese Government's Innovation Round ($11.3 million) and Power Resilience Round ($6.1 million), which are elements of the Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation Program (TDRI). A total of $17.4 million will be poured into telco projects, including Indara's, with the goal of delivering more robust telecommunications networks.

Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland MP and Minister for Emergency Management Senator Murray Watt together announced the funding on 1 May. Indara's Project Protect was among the projects selected to receive a share of the $17.4 million.

Responding to the announcement, Indara's CEO, Cameron Evans, stated, "Indara is honoured to take part in the TDRI program to deliver more resilient telecommunications networks during natural disasters in rural, regional, remote and First Nations communities." He emphasised the critical role access to telecommunications can play during a disaster, explaining that, "In a natural disaster, a phone call can be the difference between life and death. This funding will help us strengthen critical infrastructure and improve the community's access to potentially life-saving connectivity when they need it most."

Championing the initiative's dual focus on technological development and sustainable energy, Indara's Head of Asset Operations, Dragi Prespanoski, commented, "This initiative exemplifies our commitment to technological advancement for the betterment of all. We're excited to be incorporating more solar power at our sites — both to support the resilience of our customers as well as to reduce our carbon footprint. We believe a collaborative relationship between the Government and the telecommunications industry is fundamental to providing Australians with improved connectivity."

Indara will deploy solar panels to sites under the TDRI program in an effort to ensure telecommunication infrastructure remains operational in the event of a local power failure. They will be working in collaboration with Optus and NBN. By keeping telecommunications services 'on', Project Protect aims to equip rural communities with key technological tools to overcome challenges related to power outages, remote location, and disaster management. This is expected to engender better resilience and prosperity within these historically underserved regions.