Canberra hails 700-plus black spot base stations

The federal government’s $380 million regional Mobile Black Spot Program has passed a significant milestone, with more than 700 new or improved mobile base stations now operational.

More than 20,000 Triple Zero emergency calls have already been made through the towers.

On 16 July, Telstra activated its 600th base station under the program, with the others delivered by Optus and Vodafone.

“The first four rounds of the highly successful program will deliver 1047 new base stations in areas that are not commercially viable without Commonwealth investment,” said Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Paul Fletcher.

Those first four rounds generated an investment of more than $760 million, with an extra $160 million for rounds five and six announced earlier in 2019. Funding for Round 6 will commence from July 2020.

“The Mobile Black Spot Program is a terrific example of what can be achieved when the federal government, mobile industry, state and local governments, local businesses and communities work together,” said Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government Mark Coulton.

“Telstra is proud to have been such an important part of this program in delivering 600 mobile base stations to date under the Mobile Black Spot Program and will deliver 1029 overall that includes 815 mobile base stations and 214 small cells,” added Telstra Group Executive of Networks & IT Nikos Katinakis.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Juan Aunión

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