21 April 2004
48/04MOBILE PHONE SERVICES HEAT UP IN WA
The first solar-powered mobile base station in the Telstra network will deliver better mobile coverage to Roebuck Plains in Western Australia.
I was pleased to launch the Roebuck Plains base station today. This valuable facility is part of the Government's $21.8 million Towns over 500 scheme, which provides new or extended coverage to 132 regional, rural and remote towns across Australia.
The new system has 60 solar panels and is designed to supply power continuously, in all weather conditions.
The Roebuck Plains site extends the eastern edge of Broome's CDMA coverage from the Great Northern Highway and Broome Road junction and extends eastwards along the highway and the surrounding area.
This means that handheld mobile phone coverage from Broome now extends 200km towards Port Hedland and 100km towards Derby and will particularly improve car kit coverage. From the new Roebuck site, handheld coverage will extend for up to 25km and car kit coverage for up to 30km.
Other Western Australian communities to benefit from the Australian Government's Towns over 500 program include Boddington, Boyanup, Bullsbrook East, Byford, Chidlow, La Grange, Little Grove, Roebourne, Two Rocks and Rottnest Island.
WA has also benefited from another targeted program, Wireless West, which has provided 45 new mobile phone base stations to provide in-fill coverage of the existing CDMA network.
Mobile phone coverage is increasingly seen as a vital part of modern communications and nowhere is this more important than in rural, regional and remote Australia.
The Government has provided more than $130 million to improve mobile coverage in rural Australia.
Media Contact: Carina Tan-Van Baren (02) 6277 7480 or 0439 425 373
