Grey nomads travelling through the tiny Outback town of William Creek will now find the South Australian community is not quite as remote as it used to be.
It may still be a mammoth 15 hour drive from Adelaide, but travellers there can now stay in contact with the outside world by using their mobile phones via the Optus 3G network.
Local pilot, Trevor Wright, has just installed a small satellite dish with a one-metre antenna on top of his hangar, and suddenly caravanners and motorhomers can check weather and road conditions, use online maps and give home a quick call.
Before the service was switched on, those passing through could not call 000 or 112 in the event of an emergency.
The new service only has a three-kilometre radius and degrades quite quickly the further you get out of town but locals and tourists are like are celebrating the breakthrough.
“We’re only one example of what’s going to happen all over the outback,” Mr Wright told the ABC. “It’s been a momentous change.”
Optus national planning manager, Vince Mullins, told the ABC that William Creek’s new technology was the result of an 18-month trial in Oodnadatta.
“Unlike a normal mobile base station, which is quite expensive and large, we’ve shrunk that down and we’re basically able to provide hot spot coverage in these really remote areas,” he said. “To deploy, it’s very quick, as opposed to building a massive tower, and it’s great because we can use satellite technology to backhaul it rather than having to run microwave or fibre.”
Optus, the South Australian and Federal governments have invested $8.5 million to improve mobile coverage across regional and remote areas in the state.
More than a dozen other remote locations will also see similar technology soon.
Outback Communities Authority chair Cecilia Woolford said it would ensure the region became more welcoming for grey nomads tourists and would be a ‘real economic driver’.
“It means they’re going into the pub, they’re going to drink, they’re going to eat, and they’re actually going to stay longer,” she said.
· Where would you like to see a mobile service switched on? Comment below
Love to see them everywhere so that people can get rid of Telstra
I think it is a great improvement to the area and will be a real boon to all.
A BIG WELL DONE IS well over due.
Wow! this is amazing news! Competition for Telstra?? maybe they will get their act together now and provide the same service or offer Optus a share arrangement if possible?? I can get Hot Spot on my mobile around towns and cities with Telstra, but this would prove to be an enormous boost for all.