Broadband  |  2026-03-16

New Board Member Appointed to Support Growth of New Zealand’s Public Safety Communications Capability

Source: The Critical Communications Review | Gert Jan Wolf editor

The Board was established in 2020 to oversee the establishment of NGCC and its delivery of the Public Safety Network (PSN) for the emergency services.

The Chair of Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC), Rob Fyfe, has announced the appointment of Glen Sowry as an independent commercial member on the entity's Executive Governance Board.

The Board was established in 2020 to oversee the establishment of NGCC and its delivery of the Public Safety Network (PSN) for the emergency services. Mr Sowry also joins the entity's new parallel Interim Board, which has been specifically charged with guiding NGCC's evolution to a Schedule 4A Crown company, ahead of its planned launch of services to the wider public safety sector on 1 July 2026.

Welcoming the appointment, Mr Fyfe said:

"I am honoured to welcome Glen to the Board at this pivotal time for the organisation as it prepares to extend its emergency grade cellular services to uplift the wider public safety sector."

Mr Fyfe highlighted Mr Sowry's track record in senior executive leadership roles across some of New Zealand's most prominent organisations, noting his experience in technically complex environments. "He has extensive board experience and expertise in navigating between the commercial and government sectors to ensure projects are delivered on time and on budget. He has been responsible for large-scale operational delivery, business transformation, and developing and leading commercial strategies," he said.

Mr Sowry expressed his enthusiasm for the role, stating:

"I am looking forward to working alongside the highly experienced and capable NGCC board as the organisation continues to build and deliver its digital communications platform to ensure New Zealand's essential emergency services and wider public safety sector have a reliable and future-proof system."

Mr Fyfe added that Mr Sowry's expertise would be instrumental as the Interim Board guides NGCC in expanding communications capabilities to hundreds of organisations working alongside the emergency services on daily safety matters and large-scale regional emergencies.