A Warship, a Radar, and a Telecom Wake-Up Call -Cloud Phone Systems

A couple weeks ago, as a visiting Australian warship entered Wellington Harbour, unexpected radar interference took rural internet and radio services offline across parts of the country. While temporary, the outage disrupted essential services and exposed a deeper issue that rural telecom providers and IT professionals have been raising for years: New Zealand’s current spectrum allocation model is not fit for purpose.

When radar or aviation systems enter a region, they automatically take precedence over shared wireless spectrum—forcing nearby systems offline to avoid conflict. The result: schools, community services, and businesses suddenly find themselves without connectivity, through no fault of their own.

This incident may have surprised the public—but for those in the industry, it was just another reminder of how fragile rural infrastructure can be when it relies too heavily on spectrum-based technologies like fixed wireless and basic Wi-Fi.

HMAS Canberra in Wellington Harbour

Spectrum Can Be Shared — Until It Can’t

Wireless internet, mobile coverage, and even some rural VoIP services all depend on radio frequency spectrum. But spectrum is limited—and often shared across competing systems. When something like a warship enters the picture, military-grade radar overrides the available bands, knocking civilian services offline.

That kind of vulnerability may be manageable in a home environment. But for schools, clinics, emergency networks, and remote businesses, it’s unacceptable.

Fibre Is the Future — But Only If You Pair It With the Right Voice Infrastructure

New Zealand’s copper networks are being progressively shut down, and the fibre rollout continues to accelerate. But fibre alone isn’t a silver bullet. To fully benefit, organisations need to replace their legacy phone lines and outdated infrastructure with SIP-based VoIP systems that are stable, secure, and designed for the realities of modern communication. At Siptrix Systems, we specialise in helping rural and regional organisations move away from copper and wireless-only setups by offering end-to-end fibre-ready voice solutions.

How Siptrix Systems Builds Resilient Telecom Networks

Here’s how we help future-proof schools, councils, and SMEs across New Zealand:

✅ SIP VoIP System Installation: Replaces vulnerable copper landlines with modern SIP trunking over fibre.

✅ Wi-Fi Cordless Phones: Our handsets connect over your school or office Wi-Fi, so staff can stay connected anywhere there is wifi.

✅ Failover & Resilience Planning: We build backup routing, dual WAN options, and automatic failover into every system.

✅ Full Site Telecom Audits: We identify legacy systems (fax, alarms, EFTPOS) still tied to copper and offer solutions.

✅ Ongoing Support & Monitoring: Our NZ-based team monitors your system’s performance and keeps everything running smoothly.

What This Means for Rural NZ

Military radar knocking out Wi-Fi may seem like a one-off, but the truth is that any wireless-dependent system is exposed to this kind of risk. And with copper lines disappearing fast, there’s never been a more important time to modernise.

Fibre-backed SIP systems are not only clearer and more reliable—they’re built for continuity. They don’t rely on contested wireless bands. They’re cost-effective, scalable, and tailored for organisations that need certainty.

Ready to Make the Switch?

Siptrix Systems is already helping dozens of rural schools, charities, and businesses prepare for the next phase of New Zealand’s telecom future. Whether you’re still on copper, considering fibre, or unsure what your current system depends on—we can help.