Karijini is remote and beautiful ... but does mobile reception make it even more inviting?
While debate may still rage about the importance of truly ‘getting away from it all’, the fact is that the ability to stay connected is a key factor in most Big Laps.
The days of sitting in remote areas for weeks at a time not knowing what is happening at home and maybe penning the odd postcard or finding a phone box to contact family are well and truly over.
Electronic devices and internet connections are as important to today’s camping experience as jaffle irons and a spare wheel.
And the places where the outside world is truly left on the outside are diminishing all the time. For example, mobile reception has just arrived at two major national parks in WA’s Pilbara region for the first time.
The West Australian newspaper reports that Optus has switched on satellite small cells at several sites in Karijini and one in Millstream National Parks, providing phone reception over a radius of about 3 kilometres around each area.
With no reception formerly available in either park, visitors can now make calls, send texts and access mobile data at the Karijini eco resort, campground or visitor centre and at the homestead at Millstream National Park.
Optus vice-president of regulatory and public affairs Andrew Sheridan told the West Australian that he company was glad to offer visitors to Karijini access to mobile coverage.
“As one of Western Australia’s most popular tourist sites it’s important that people who visit this beautiful, but remote part of Australia, have the ability to check in and connect with friends and family back home,” he said.
Full reception at the sites will only be available to Optus phone customers though non-Optus users will be able to make emergency services calls using the network.
The cells being used in Karijini and Millstream are among 11 from Optus which have recently gone live in remote parts of regional WA, funded by the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.
Satellite small cells are an alternative to traditional mobile towers which operate like a traditional 3G mobile base station, using satellite connectivity and backhaul to deliver mobile coverage in a concentrated local area.
I can only camp where I can also connect to keep track of my online business. Otherwise I would not have the income to afford the fuel to get to those beautiful places. Elderly parents is also a priority to keep in contact with.
No problem. Just stay in the very large towns where you will always have tv and mobile reception as well as proper restaurants and good coffee. We prefer outback. Buy a sat phone if you really want 100% connectivity. We have one just for emergencies. They are not expensive.
When one company receives funding from the fed government for these projects, it leaves customers of the other major network out of luck. Recently a friend became grounded in Innamincka with a Telstra phone only to discover an Optus satellite in operation. Telstra is supposed to be the”national” carrier and now we are discovering it is not.