The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra inadvertently caused widespread disruption to wireless internet and radio services across parts of New Zealand's North and South islands on Wednesday morning. The ship's navigation radar interfered with frequencies used by commercial operators as it approached Wellington, leading to service outages before the frequency was changed.
Australian navy ship accidentally blocks wifi across parts of New Zealand
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra inadvertently caused widespread disruption to wireless internet and radio services across parts of New Zealand's North and South islands on Wednesday morning. The ship's navigation radar interfered with frequencies used by commercial operators as it approached Wellington, leading to service outages before the frequency was changed.
- 1 HMAS Canberra passed along New Zealand's coast (Wednesday morning).
- 2 Disruptions began shortly after 2am local time (Wednesday).
- 3 HMAS Canberra changed frequencies (after becoming aware of interference).
- 4 HMAS Canberra arrived in Wellington (Thursday).
- Widespread disruption to wireless internet and radio services across parts of New Zealand
- Commercial operators had to switch to backup systems or stop broadcasting
- Triggering of 'full-scale, military-grade radar triggering built-in safety protocols'
What: An Australian navy ship, HMAS Canberra, accidentally blocked Wi-Fi and radio services in parts of New Zealand.
When: Wednesday morning (this week, published 2025-06-06). Disruptions began shortly after 2am local time. HMAS Canberra arrived in Wellington on Thursday.
Where: New Zealand's North and South islands, specifically Taranaki (North Island) and Marlborough region (South Island), including Blenheim and Wellington.
Why: The HMAS Canberra's navigation radar interfered with frequencies used by commercial internet providers and radio stations.
How: The radar's signal on a shared frequency triggered built-in safety protocols in commercial equipment, causing operators to stop using the channel. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) changed frequencies to rectify the issue once aware.