Federal Government announces funding to fix Wide Bay’s mobile black spots
25th June, 2015
Federal Member for Wide Bay Warren Truss today announced that the Federal Coalition Government’s $100 million Mobile Black Spots program will deliver 5 new or upgraded mobile base stations within Wide Bay. “I am pleased to announce that under the Mobile Black Spots program, new mobile phone base stations are being delivered to improve mobile phone coverage in the areas of Glastonbury, Kin Kin, Widgee, Woolooga and the Maryborough-Biggenden Road,” Mr Truss said.
“People living in these areas, especially Widgee, have been campaigning for mobile coverage for years and I am delighted that my lobbying has at last been successful.
“These upgrades will be delivered through more than $3 million, including $864,000 from the Federal Government.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher, said that the outcome of the Mobile Black Spot Programme had significantly exceeded expectations.
“The Programme has delivered substantial competitive benefits, with both Telstra and Vodafone granted funding to build new or upgraded base stations. In addition, the mobile network operator selected to build a base station must give the other mobile network operators the opportunity to co-locate on that base station,” Mr Fletcher said.
Mr Truss said that one of his first priorities after the Government’s election was to lobby for the upgrading of telecommunications infrastructure in Wide Bay, and he was pleased when Parliamentary Secretary Fletcher accepted an invitation to visit the region in February 2014.
“The former Labor Government abolished the Howard Coalition Government’s $2.4 billion Regional Communications Fund in 2007, when it was on the cusp of delivering upgrades to blackspots in Widgee and on the Bruce Highway.
“After years of neglect it has been very satisfying to work with my colleagues, including Paul Fletcher, as part of a Government that is serious about delivering better telecommunications to regional communities.
“During Mr Fletcher’s visit to Wide Bay, we discussed the idea of co-locating mobile phone transmitters on wireless NBN towers and I believe that this proposal has been utilized as one method of improving mobile phone coverage within Wide Bay.”
The Federal Government also announced today that a further $60 million in funding will be provided in Round 2 of the program. In addition Telstra has committed to build 200 new 4G mini base stations, to meet demand and improve coverage in regional and remote Australia.
The Government will re-open the black spots database for round 2, to allow the public to nominate further mobile phone black spots. Nominations can be emailed to mobilecoverage@communications.gov.au
The first base stations to be funded under the Programme will begin to roll out in the second half of 2015, and the full roll out will continue over a three year period.
A map of locations which will receive new or upgraded coverage under the first round of funding under the Mobile Black Spot Programme is available from http://nationalmap.gov.au/
