30825 (2025). Hon Peeni Henare to the Minister for Media and Communications

30825 (2025). Hon Peeni Henare to the Minister for Media and Communications: What are the systemic vulnerabilities in rural broadband infrastructure that make it susceptible to interference from military radar systems, if any, and how can these be mitigated?

Hon Paul Goldsmith: New Zealand manages radio spectrum to prevent interference between users, including military operators. Around the world, different countries choose to allocate particular frequencies for different uses. When foreign government vessels visit, their officials coordinate with New Zealand to agree on which frequencies they can use. In this case, HMAS Canberra’s radar was mistakenly in use. This was an isolated incident and the issue was resolved once the vessel ceased transmission.