Whitsunday Regional Council

These are the challenges Whitsunday Regional Council faced:

• Limited and unreliable radio coverage – The legacy analogue system lacked the capacity to provide consistent communications, especially in remote and high-risk areas.
• Outdated infrastructure – The 70MHz frequency radio network was aging, with parts difficult to source and limited support for modern features.
• Inadequate emergency communication – During critical events like bushfires, floods, or storms, the reliance on mobile and satellite phones was inefficient and unsafe.
• Disaster management and resilience planning gaps – Council lacked integrated systems to anticipate risks, prepare adjustments, and ensure public and staff safety during disasters.

Solution

Following initial consultations and site audits, Simoco proposed a unique Infrastructure-free solution. A traditional multisite DMR Tier III radio network was ruled out due to limited access to radio towers and their poor condition. Instead, Simoco developed a hybrid communications solution utilising the Velocity EC-830 mobile edge computing platform and SDM mobile radios, which integrate both LTE and Starlink satellite networks.

This innovative approach eliminated the need for traditional radio towers, offering
a flexible, scalable, and highly resilient system. It allowed the Council to maintain communications across the entire LGA, even during emergencies when LTE coverage may be compromised.

We have a council that covers 30,000km, from Airlie Beach to Bowen and out to Collinsville and further west. We needed a communication system that could meet that demand.

MITCH CARR, MANAGER INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY 

Key aspects influencing the decision to choose Simoco

Simoco was selected for their ability to deliver a bespoke, future-proof solution tailored to the Council’s unique operational challenges. Their extensive experience in critical communications and their flexibility in designing a solution that avoided the constraints of existing infrastructure made them the ideal partner. Simoco’s approach ensured resilient, reliable communications, regardless of geography, weather, or network disruption.

Benefits

• Hybrid RF and LTE communication – The solution integrates traditional UHF radio with LTE-based voice capabilities, providing council staff with seamless communication options across the entire region. This dualmode system ensures continuity even when one network experiences disruption, making it ideal for unpredictable emergency conditions.
• Intelligent mobile edge computing
  platform with Velocity EC-830 – Acting as a central communication hub, Velocity intelligently determines the best available path for transmitting voice and data, whether through LTE or satellite. This ensures optimal performance and cost efficiency, even in remote or dynamically changing environments.
• Satellite backup via Starlink – To address gaps in LTE coverage and ensure resilience during critical situations, the solution includes Starlink satellite connectivity. This enables continuous operation during natural disasters or outages, providing a dependable lifeline for emergency coordination and public safety communications.
• Infrastructure-free deployment – Unlike traditional radio systems that rely on fixed towers, this solution requires no permanent infrastructure. By eliminating the need for radio towers or base stations, it significantly reduces deployment complexity and ongoing maintenance, while increasing flexibility and reach in geographically challenging areas.

Result

Whitsunday Regional Council now benefits from a modern, resilient communication system that enables effective coordination during emergencies. Staff safety has been significantly improved, coverage blackspots have been eliminated, and the Council is far better prepared for future disaster events. By leveraging both LTE and satellite technologies without relying on fixed infrastructure, the Council has strengthened its disaster response capabilities and overall operational resilience.