Emotional scenes as two sisters are reunited after Cyclone Gabrielle smashed through a bridge in rural Hawke’s Bay, dividing the community. Video / Mike Scott / Ella Wilks
UPDATE: Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees say they can now access a repaired Chorus fibre cable into Gisborne - which provides “backhaul” between cell towers and the main telecommunications networks. Restoration of services will be gradual, with voice and text initially before full-blown landline and mobile data services are back online
EARLIER: Chorus says it finally fixed the four known cuts on the northern fibre cable into Gisborne on Saturday evening. - only for a roadworks crew working on slips to introduce three new cuts.
The repaired cable was close to going live - “We were just putting the final touches on it,” says Chorus spokesman Nathan Beaumont - before a digger crushed some of the new lines. Two of the breaks caused by the roadcrew have been repaired. The third is still being worked on.
There is now still no estimated time for landline service to be fully restored to the cyclone-hit town. 2degrees says it has been able to maintain a “delicate” connection over the north fibre line into Gisborne. Spark says it’s also been able to use the cable.
There are two fibre cables that usually provide Gisborne’s main telecommunications links to the rest of NZ - one to the north and one to the south. Both are out.
Chorus judged the northern one the easiest to repair with temporary fixes - including an overlay of new fibre via helicopter above a ridge line of a steep gorge where there has been significant road damage.
“Disheartening”
“Crews are working day and night to get connectivity restored in key areas and it’s disheartening to say the least to have that work undone by a digger crushing the lines,” says Paul Brislen, chief executive of the Telecommunications Forum (TCF) whose members include Chorus, Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees.
“The TCF is calling on heavy equipment drivers to be extra vigilant following damage to newly laid fibre in the Hawke’s bay. Checking with beforeUdig to see if utilities are in the area is important as resources are stretched thin.”
Brislen says damage to cables by roadworks crews has happened in areas outside Hawke’s Bay too.
Telcos offer free mobile service
Vodafone is offering free service for customers in areas hard hit by Cyclone Gabrielle - although a key issue for many on the East Coast remains getting any telecommunications service whatsoever.
“Prepay customers have had 100GB of free data automatically loaded onto their accounts which is available to use now, for 7 days. For customers with an ‘on account’ plan and for enterprise customers, data caps and speed restrictions have been removed (where the network allows) to provide free unlimited data for seven days.”
Damaged on the fibre cable running between Napier and Te Pōhue. Photo / Chorus
Vodafone says customers don’t have to do anything. The top-ups will be automatic if they’re in an affected area. Hotspotting (sharing a smartphone’s internet connection with a laptop) is allowed.
Spark has introduced the same measures, plus prepaid customers also have free unlimited calling and text included. The support package will also be applied automatically. Spark is also encouraging business customers to get in touch to discuss possible relief options.
2degrees says “Service agents are adding data packs to those who need them. You can request in store, via social media, or via this form.
Power company Contact Energy today launched a $250,000 energy and broadband credit fund for all customers directly impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle.
Affected residential and business customers have to phone Contact (0800 454 648) to activate the offer.
COWs, Starlink gear dropped in
Meanwhile, limited broadband and mobile service are being progressively restored to the East Coast as telcos fly in satellite uplinks and mini, temporary cell towers - some of which are COWs (cell sites on wheels) - although Vodafone CEO Jason Paris says efforts have been hampered by thieves stealing generators.
Additionally, NEMA teams have delivered 10 Starlink satellite internet kits to Gisborne, five to Wairoa and three to Napier.
And East Coast iwi Ngāti Porou flew in 31 Starlink kits to connect remote communities with a charter flight arranged via its commercial arm, Ngāti Porou Holdings.
Director Bailey Mackey told RNZ that Ngāti Porou members who live outside the region had collaborated with other iwi, including Tainui, to arrange the Starlink drop. Follow-up flights will deliver generators.
East Coast iwi Ngāti Porou chartered a plane and chopper to deliver 31 Starlink satellite internet kits to remote communities. The kits were supplied by the iwi's commercial arm, working with other iwi and private enterprises. Photo / Facebook
On Twitter, National MP Shane Reti called on owner Elon Musk to send hundreds of Starlink kits; replies pointed out local reseller Noel Leeming had Starlink kits in stock, and that the lack of power meant emergency services and others could only accommodate so many via generators.
A spokesperson for The Warehouse Group (which owns Noel Leeming) said: “We’ve got good levels of The Starlink Standard Kit available throughout the country. Some stores are low, but we’ve got plenty of stock available online and more stock arriving in stores.”
Noel Leeming’s Gisborne store lists Starlink kits as “unavailable” for click-and-collect. The spokesperson said that was because the store was closed, not an out-of-stock issue.
Gisborne emergency connectivity is our #1 priority with satellite equipment continuing to be deployed to emergency and essential services. We've established small cell connectivity at Gisborne Airport, Gisborne Police Station and Muriwai 1/4
2degrees said on Friday afternoon that Napier and Hastings were online, with generators being used to maintain power, especially in Napier.
The telco has fibre connectivity into Napier and cell sites at three small East Cape towns have been restored. Satellite and small cell equipment have been sent to Gisborne and are being installed today. Additional backhaul connectivity is being arranged via microwave and satellite in Gisborne to bring some macro cell coverage online as soon as possible, 2degrees says.
Today (Sunday), 2degrees updated: “The focus today is getting cell signal into Wairoa, and ensuring the delicate connection to Gisborne remains up. Technicians will convoy on the road from Gisborne to Wairoa – which has been described as ‘sketchy’ by field staff.”
In all, 2degrees currently has 16 sites down nationwide, from a peak of 160 on Tuesday, a spokesperson said.
Spark currently has over 90 per cent of its sites across both Hawke’s Bay and Northland back online, with the main impacts now in Gisborne, the telco said midday Sunday.
With one of the two Chrous fibre links coming back online, “Our teams are working hard to get our services back online using it. As a result, we expect to see services return progressively over the rest of the day/night to the East Cape and Gisborne. We already have our sites at Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay, Te Karaka and Rere back online,” Spark said.
Vodafone says it has established small cell connectivity at Gisborne Airport, Gisborne Police Station and Muriwai, and is aiming to stand up a further four large cell sites in the next 24 hours. A small cell site has also been established at Wairoa. Wainui will be commissioned via Optus satellite to provide some macro coverage in the area.
Napier-based wireless internet service provider NOW says it is fully operational and working with customers who are still affected by power outages.
Northland and Coromandel are now close to full mobile service recovery, Brislen says, with only a handful of cell sites still down.
