Bushfires and Communications: Building Resilience in a Changing Climate

Bushfires remain one of Australia’s greatest natural threats. They devastate communities, wildlife, infrastructure and with climate change lengthening fire seasons and increasing dangerous fire weather days, organisations face more pressure than ever to prepare. In this context, resilient communication systems are not a luxury; they are a lifeline.

The Changing Threat Landscape

Recent data from the Bureau of Meteorology confirms that Australia is experiencing a rise in the number of days with dangerous fire weather and longer fire seasons. This trend means bushfires are becoming more unpredictable and harder to manage. Fires in recent years have shown just how destructive they can be:

In January 2025, a fire in north-west Victoria tore through around 64,500 hectares, destroying homes and farmland.
Tasmania’s west coast saw 45,000 hectares burned in early 2025.
In the Grampians, a blaze grew to 74,000 hectares, causing widespread damage to homes, livestock, and communications infrastructure.

The Insurance Council of Australia reports that major bushfire events now regularly result in insured losses running into the billions of dollars. The financial burden, alongside environmental and human costs, highlights the scale of the challenge. Meanwhile, hazard reduction efforts are under strain. In New South Wales, fewer than 30% of target hectares for hazard reduction burns were achieved in 2024–25, leaving communities exposed to increased risk (The Guardian).

Why Communication Matters

In high-risk conditions, communication is the thread that holds emergency response together. When commercial networks fail due to fire, smoke, or power loss, mission-critical systems must step in to ensure:

Rapid coordination across fire, police, ambulance, and support agencies.
Timely evacuation messaging to keep communities safe.
Real-time situational awareness, including weather updates and fire behaviour data.
Continuity of logistics and command, even when conventional systems are down.

Without these, responders are left vulnerable and communities at risk.

Simoco’s Role: Empowering Organisations with Resilient Solutions

At Simoco, we design and deliver communications systems that are built to perform when it matters most. Our solutions are tailored to the complex challenges of bushfire management, ensuring reliability, coverage, and interoperability.

Multi-bearer Convergence with Velocity

The Velocity platform integrates LMR, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, intelligently routing voice and data to the best available network. This means organisations can maintain communications even when one network is compromised.

P25 Interoperability

Our P25 Phase 1 and Phase 2 solutions deliver secure, standards-based interoperability across agencies. With scalable capacity, they support both everyday operations and major surges during emergencies.

Rugged and Rapid Deployment

From mobile repeaters to resilient handhelds, our hardware is built for extreme conditions. Rapid deployment options mean coverage can be extended quickly into impacted areas, reducing downtime and risk.

Satellite Failover and Backup

By incorporating satellite or alternative bearers, our systems ensure communications never stop, even when terrestrial infrastructure is destroyed.

Roam: Future-Ready Mobile Communication Hubs

Our Roam solution transforms vehicles into mobile communication hubs. Roam provides seamless communication across multiple bearers, ensuring continuity of operations at the most critical moments. Designed to be future-ready, it gives organisations the resilience they need to face escalating risks driven by climate change.

Practical Steps for Organisations

To strengthen bushfire preparedness, organisations should:

Invest in multi-bearer systems to guarantee continuity when networks fail.
Deploy redundancy and mobile repeaters for rapid coverage expansion.
Prioritise interoperability to enable seamless cross-agency collaboration.
Integrate real-time data from agencies like the Bureau of Meteorology into operational decision-making.
Train teams regularly so technology and people are equally prepared.

Conclusion

Australia’s bushfire risk is intensifying, and the consequences are growing. By combining hazard reduction, preparedness, and resilient communication systems, organisations can reduce risk and protect lives. Simoco is committed to helping our partners stay connected, resilient, and ready no matter how severe the challenge.

For more information, contact us today. Let’s embark on this journey together.