Our team have been actively using OneNZ’s SpaceX Starlink mobile phone text service for a couple of weeks now, and the impact of nationwide mobile coverage is starting to become evident. Even in the most remote areas, far from any cell phone tower, our field crew operations and foresters can now text and communicate using their standard NZ mobile phones. While we primarily use iPhones within the company, many Android devices are also supported.
As a sector we have relied on radio communications as a key connecting technology and while this is unlikely to go away, as one of the first countries in the world to have access to this SpaceX satellite network messaging from a normal mobile device, the forestry sector can take advantage of having easy communication across our wide forestry estates like never before.
Whether on a remote highway, a forest road, or in those spots close to home without cell tower coverage, OneNZ has introduced SMS text messaging coverage via SpaceX Starlink Satellite, directly from your regular mobile smartphone. Feedback from the team has been overwhelmingly positive, with most being able to send and receive text messages almost instantly. While our teams currently use InReach-type satellite device messaging, this new functionality from SpaceX and OneNZ is in a class of its own—it’s just like using a normal text service. Sure, sometimes the one or two bars of SAT coverage might disappear, but not that often with foresters reporting coverage even while inside the forest under the trees.
For those who work or live in remote areas, this will revolutionize the way you plan and carry out work, while staying connected and improving safety. Whether you’re stuck at a locked gate with the wrong key, stranded on a muddy road, blocked by a fallen tree, or need to change tasks due to conditions, you can now easily reach out and update the team.
Currently, this service works for SMS texts and does not support more data-driven chat systems like Teams Chat or Messenger. However, moving forward, this will open up new methods of communication and cost efficiency for the sector. It will lead to increased productivity and enable environmental or security monitoring systems through IoT device connectivity.
Here at Interpine, it continues our drive to keep our team safe, connected, and provide efficiencies to increase productivity and reduce downtime. We look forward to watching this “space” as this technology quickly evolves and seeing how we can keep “shaping today’s forests with technology of tomorrow”
For more information: Mobile coverage like never before with SpaceX and OneNZ.
Just an example of the number of SpaceX satellites above us covering NZ. While not all have mobile functionality, our staff have been amazed and the consistent coverage so far.
