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| Australian navy ship accidentally blocks internet and radio across parts of New Zealand | Australian navy ship accidentally blocks internet and radio across parts of New Zealand |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Incident happened as one of the Royal Australian Navy’s largest ships was on its way to Wellington this week | Incident happened as one of the Royal Australian Navy’s largest ships was on its way to Wellington this week |
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| The Australian defence force (ADF) has conceded that one of its ships inadvertently blocked wireless internet and radio services across swathes of New Zealand’s North and South islands this week. | The Australian defence force (ADF) has conceded that one of its ships inadvertently blocked wireless internet and radio services across swathes of New Zealand’s North and South islands this week. |
| The incident occurred on Wednesday morning as HMAS Canberra, one of the largest ships in the Royal Australian Navy, was on its way to Wellington, where it ultimately arrived on Thursday. | The incident occurred on Wednesday morning as HMAS Canberra, one of the largest ships in the Royal Australian Navy, was on its way to Wellington, where it ultimately arrived on Thursday. |
| As HMAS Canberra was passing along New Zealand’s coast on its approach to Wellington, its navigation radar interfered with wireless and radio signals over a large area spanning Taranaki in the North Island to the Marlborough region in the South Island. | |
| It is understood that when the radar was heard on the frequency used by many internet providers and radio stations, those commercial operators had to stop using the channel. | |
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| One local tech boss claimed disruptions began shortly after 2am local time. | One local tech boss claimed disruptions began shortly after 2am local time. |
| The New Zealand defence force said it contacted its Australian counterpart after the issue was reported. | The New Zealand defence force said it contacted its Australian counterpart after the issue was reported. |
| “HMAS Canberra became aware that their navigation radar was interfering with Wi-Fi in the Taranaki to the Marlborough region on approach to Wellington,” an ADF spokesperson said. | “HMAS Canberra became aware that their navigation radar was interfering with Wi-Fi in the Taranaki to the Marlborough region on approach to Wellington,” an ADF spokesperson said. |
| “On becoming aware, HMAS Canberra changed frequencies rectifying the interference. There are no ongoing disruptions.” | “On becoming aware, HMAS Canberra changed frequencies rectifying the interference. There are no ongoing disruptions.” |
| The New Zealand defence force said it now considered the incident resolved. | The New Zealand defence force said it now considered the incident resolved. |
| Dan O’Grady, the manager of radio spectrum policy and planning at New Zealand’s ministry of business, innovation and employment, said the country’s radio spectrum management regime provides access to a wide range of different radio spectrum bands for different purposes, some of which involve sharing. | Dan O’Grady, the manager of radio spectrum policy and planning at New Zealand’s ministry of business, innovation and employment, said the country’s radio spectrum management regime provides access to a wide range of different radio spectrum bands for different purposes, some of which involve sharing. |
| “Some spectrum bands are free of charge and available for anyone to use – such as the shared spectrum bands for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The interference that occurred on Wednesday was in one of these shared bands,” O’Grady said. | “Some spectrum bands are free of charge and available for anyone to use – such as the shared spectrum bands for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The interference that occurred on Wednesday was in one of these shared bands,” O’Grady said. |
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| BrianFM, a radio station based in the South Island town of Blenheim and which broadcasts across the island, said it had to switch to a backup system to continue to broadcast. | BrianFM, a radio station based in the South Island town of Blenheim and which broadcasts across the island, said it had to switch to a backup system to continue to broadcast. |
| “We like to be, you know, pretty reliable and robust, and it certainly took us out and numerous others,” the station’s founder, Andrew Jeffries, told the news outlet Stuff. | |
| Matthew Harrison, the managing director of the New Zealand wireless internet and mobile telecommunications company Primo, said “it’s not every day a warship takes your gear offline”. | Matthew Harrison, the managing director of the New Zealand wireless internet and mobile telecommunications company Primo, said “it’s not every day a warship takes your gear offline”. |
| “This wasn’t just a blip,” Harrison wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “It was full-scale, military-grade radar triggering built-in safety protocols designed to protect airspace. | “This wasn’t just a blip,” Harrison wrote in a post on LinkedIn. “It was full-scale, military-grade radar triggering built-in safety protocols designed to protect airspace. |
| “It rolled across our network in sync with the ship’s movement. We’ve never seen anything like it here before!” | “It rolled across our network in sync with the ship’s movement. We’ve never seen anything like it here before!” |
| Harrison then joked: “Hey Royal Australian Navy … where can we send the bill?” | Harrison then joked: “Hey Royal Australian Navy … where can we send the bill?” |