General News
30 January, 2023
5G to be mobilised across the region
Rural Victorians can look forward to better mobile and internet coverage with the state government investing $550 million into the Connecting Victoria program. The program is designed to upgrade and enhance regional broadband and mobile services to...
Rural Victorians can look forward to better mobile and internet coverage with the state government investing $550 million into the Connecting Victoria program.
The program is designed to upgrade and enhance regional broadband and mobile services to give residents better access to high-speed internet, increase mobile coverage, help more places become 5G-ready, and improve access to safety information during bushfires and other emergencies.
More than $250 million will be invested over the next four years on 309 new mobile towers, upgrading 492 towers to 5G, adapting 170 towers for use by multiple telecommunication providers and strengthening 137 towers against natural disasters.
Areas to benefit from the program will include Dadswells Bridge, Bungalally, Dooen, Drung, Glenorchy, Haven, Horsham, Ledcourt, Lower Norton, McKenzie Creek, Pimpinio, St Helens Plains, Riverside, Roses Gap and Vectis.
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford said connectivity played a critical role in the lives of regional Victorians, providing access to healthcare, education, flexible working and emergency information and services.
“Horsham locals deserve to have reliable mobile coverage. It helps connect residents, support businesses and attract tourists, allowing local economies to thrive," she said.
“This investment in Horsham Rural City will boost local economies, and ensure all Victorians can access connectivity that allows them to work or learn from home, get in touch with loved ones or seek help in emergencies.”
But Nationals leader and Shadow Minister for Regional Victoria, Peter Walsh, said this wasn’t enough.
“Parts of regional Victoria have put up with second-class mobile coverage for too long, and more towers isn’t the only way to help solve this problem,” he said.
“We need innovative technology to deliver better coverage to country communities who rely on mobile services for everything from business to keeping in touch with their loved ones, particularly in smaller rural communities where we’ve seen banks and government services move to online-only – it leaves people who can’t get a signal behind.
“Regional Victorians have been short-changed through the Connecting Victoria program, with 28 of 88 current programs being within metropolitan Melbourne.”
A recent summary by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman revealed that the number of overall complaints had decreased in the past 12 months, but that poor mobile coverage was still one of the top 10 concerns in Victoria.
Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said although the decrease in overall complaints was great to see, the proportion of mobile complaints had increased to 39.7 per cent of all complaints - the highest proportion of complaints about mobile services in five years.
“While we’ve seen some great improvements, Australia’s telcos need to do more to resolve complaints about mobile services, including poor mobile coverage," she said.