The state yesterday unveiled a new interisland communications system aimed at making sure public safety and civil defense officials stay connected during emergencies.

The $30 million system includes installation or refurbishment of 15 communications towers — on five islands — that can withstand hurricane-force winds and operate independently of commercial power for at least seven days. The system, which recently went on line, now links O'ahu, Maui and parts of the Big Island.

By 2011, the system will be available statewide.

Russ Saito, state comptroller, said the system is a marked improvement over the "hodgepodge" of towers and emergency channels that first responders and civil defense officials had been using to communicate. He added that the new network, called Anuenue, puts Hawai'i ahead of many other states in emergency preparedness.

The new system was built with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard, which has contributed more than $13 million to the effort, along with the state and counties. So far, about $23 million has been spent on the system. An additional $7 million in work is still to be completed.

At a news conference yesterday, Rear Adm. Timothy Sullivan, commander of Coast Guard maintenance and logistics in the Pacific, said the network is a "huge step forward" that will even help speed up rescues on the water, by picking up vessel and other distress signals with more clarity and accuracy.

"Having this capability is a benefit that will only truly be realized at the worst of times," Sullivan said of the new system.

"Hawai'i is more secure and better prepared for emergencies as a result of this joint effort," Sullivan added. "The Anuenue system will assist rapid recovery efforts and ensure that critical lines of communication remain open during disasters, as well as day-to-day operations."

Work on the network started in 2004. It replaces a communications system decommissioned in 2000. While the new system was being set up, first responders used a backup system that was not designed for emergency situations, Saito said.

At the news conference, Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona stressed that the new communications network will remain operational in winds up to 110 mph. He added that the new towers can withstand hurricane-strength winds up to 155 mph. Like the old communications system, the network towers have their own generators.

The system includes four towers on O'ahu and five on the Big Island. The towers range from 50 to 180 feet high.