My Local Buy Story: AirBridge

Pormpuraaw is a vibrant community located on the west coast of Cape York, Australia. Known for its coastal location, magnificent sunsets, and abundant fishing experiences, Pormpuraaw is a place where tradition and culture are deeply valued.

Recently, when the Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council found themselves without their core network carriage, the implications were immediate and severe. Work came to a standstill, and the lack of communication posed safety risks. After a fortuitously timed introduction days earlier through TCCIA, CEO Edward Natera then reached out to AirBridge Networks

Upon receiving the urgent request for connectivity through Local Buy, the Vocus Diamond Partner commissioned a commercial-grade Vocus Satellite - Starlink on the very same day.

With heavy flight restrictions due to a public holiday, two technicians drove the 8 hours to the site and completed the installation. Collaborating with the council’s existing IT provider, the teams restored connectivity and simultaneously significantly improved the signal. The bandwidth was boosted from a mere 2Mbps link to over 300Mbps.

James Hughes from AirBridge with Pormpuraaw CEO Edward Natera

This rapid response and successful engagement through the Local Buy Telecommunication Services Arrangement have led to council entrusting AirBridge with a more strategic role in assisting council and the greater community with their connectivity needs by installing AirBridge’s new ARNI Product.

Pormpuraaw CEO, Edward Natera said the disruptions to connectivity were frustrating and a solution needed to be sourced.

“The loss of digital connectivity can and has had devastating consequences for our remote community. We were frustrated with our existing provider and pleased to have received such great service from AirBridge and Vocus”, Mr Natera said.

AirBridge Networks proudly supports the most remote and regional local government areas in Queensland and sets the standard in delivering holistic, fit-for-purpose solutions. This kind of rapid response is only possible due to the experienced team and established partnerships between council and engaging pre-qualified suppliers, such as Vocus, through Local Buy Arrangements.

The Australian Government previously funded a grant called ‘Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation (TDRI) Program – Innovation Round’ to cover 50% of the costs to install emerging or innovative technologies that offer solutions to improve resiliency against the impact on telecommunications during natural disasters.

Airbridge Networks is a current Local Buy supplier based in Cairns and are participating on ICT Solutions, Products, Services & New Tech LB308 and Telecommunication Services - NPN1.18.

Visit the Airbridge Networks website - https://airbridge.net.au/