On 20 February 2025 Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a powerful category 3 storm, formed from a tropical low off the North-East coast of Australia, reaching mainland Queensland, above Brisbane, on 8 March 2025.

BAI Communications (BAI) was able to support emergency services and keep local communities connected through effective management of our networks.

In preparation, BAI undertook extensive checks across 24 sites projected to fall within the cyclone’s path, testing generator systems and that all available redundancies were functional in the event of power loss. As a result, BAI achieved an uptime of 96% across impacted sites, or over 9,600 hours of transmission, with all ABC Local Radio services that provide critical updates in the affected regions maintaining 99.91% availability. Standby generators played a crucial role, operating for over 3,700 hours across the sites, with almost 16,000 litres of fuel delivered to keep services running. The Public Safety Network (PSN) that BAI operates for the NSW Telco Authority remained fully operational throughout.

Behind the scenes:

Field teams worked rapidly to test Emergency Power Plants (EPPs), refuel generators, and check key broadcast sites to ensure readiness. In anticipation of disruptions, more than 30 mobile assets—including generators and Mobile Radio Access (MRA) units—were secured and staged at vulnerable PSN sites. These proactive measures were essential in ensuring continuity of service during and after the cyclone.

Incident management and network operations

Operating 24/7, BAI’s Service Management and Network Operations Centre teams provided real-time monitoring, responded to incidents, and coordinated field teams to mitigate disruptions.

Situational awareness: staying one step ahead

A key factor in BAI’s response was maintaining a high level of situational awareness. Real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous monitoring ensured that teams were able to anticipate potential failures before they occurred.

Change coordination and asset management: ensuring seamless operations

BAI’s Change Coordination and Asset Management teams ensured that essential equipment was available by cancelling all non-essential maintenance and network changes and deploying spare parts and mobile EPPs.

Field response: keeping critical communications online

When mains power failed at critical sites, teams activated backup power systems to safeguard equipment and maintain broadcast services. In one instance, when an EPP failed, a mobile unit was sourced and deployed within hours, minimising disruption.

In the face of access restrictions such as washed-out access tracks and local flooding, field teams, with support from local authorities, navigated difficult conditions to restore services, refuel EPPs and address urgent issues.

Resilience and impact: ensuring public safety and broadcast continuity

Throughout the event, the Broadcast Network maintained near-full operation and the PSN remained fully operational, providing uninterrupted communication for emergency services across affected regions, ensuring that critical news, emergency updates, and community alerts continued to reach those in need.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred underscores the vital role of resilient communications in disaster response. With robust emergency preparedness strategies and a dedicated response team, BAI continues to deliver reliable, mission-critical connectivity—ensuring that during even the most severe weather events, communities and emergency responders remain connected.