One New Zealand opened its first retail outlet with full power and connectivity backup systems in the city of Napier on the southeast coast, ensuring the store can continue to operate even when disaster strikes.

Director of SME and consumer Chris Fletcher stated the store is the first of a new breed featuring an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and a small cell, providing backup in case of a power failure or loss of mobile service.

Fletcher said the store is “resilient” and “fit for the future”.

The city and other parts of the country were hit by Cyclone Gabrielle in February, which caused widespread flooding and damage, resulting in utilities being cut off.

Fletcher said the lack of power meant it couldn’t open the store. “We’ve learned from this, which is why we’re investing in additional technology like UPS and generators.”

A pair of UPS batteries can power point-of-sale, an SD-WAN network and Wi-Fi equipment, and can run for up to 48 hours to allow time to set up a diesel generator.

One NZ noted a deal with SpaceX struck in April will give customers satellite connectivity across New Zealand using their existing handsets later this year.