Grey nomads travelling in remote Australia will be able to stay in better contact with the ‘outside world’ thanks to two separate initiatives to improve mobile phone coverage.
In the first, Optus is to deploy several small, satellite-based cells along the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory as an inexpensive, flexible alternative to traditional mobile towers.
And, in the other initiative, the Western Australian government is to fund the construction of a new mobile tower to provide coverage for around 80 kilometres of the Great Eastern Highway between Southern Cross and Coolgardie.
The new Optus ‘cells’ will be erected in a dozen spots between Katherine and Uluru … namely Mataranka, Daly Waters, Ormiston Pound Ranger Station, Elliott, Renner Springs, Three Ways, Barkly Homestead, Wycliffe Well, Barrow Creek, Ti Tree, Erldunda and Curtin Springs. Some of these locations, including Curtin Springs, are not currently served by any mobile network.
The small cell technology has been successfully trialled at Oodnadatta in South Australia and the cells boast a range of up to three kilometres depending on the topography of the area, and are connected to the rest of the network via Optus satellite.
“This initiative is about delivering a choice in mobile services for workers and residents in and around these key locations, and enabling a ‘check-in’ capability for passing traffic such as travelling workers, truckies and tourists,” said Optus Networks acting managing director Dennis Wong. “We believe this is an excellent way to deploy this type of technology to deliver services to areas that are remote and geographically challenging.”
Over in Western Australia, Commerce Minister Michael Mischin said the new Boorabbin tower would provide new connectivity that will ‘ensure motorists feel safer and better equipped, and improve emergency service response times’.
“The Boorabbin National Park along the highway is a popular location to view the unique native trees and wildflowers in the ecologically significant Great Western Woodlands,” he said. “The Great Eastern Highway is also the primary road for people travelling between Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Perth, and this tower will provide improved coverage and peace of mind for motorists.”
Is there telstra mobile phone reception in Ti Tree NT?
I am interested in small cell technology.
Appreciate if I can get some detail information.
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