Vodafone builds on regional commitment with 32 new sites
New base stations to be rolled out in NSW, Tas, Qld and WA
Vodafone has announced it is expanding its regional mobile network, investing more than $9 million in 32 new mobile base stations in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia.
Vodafone Chief Technology Officer Benoit Hanssen said the majority of the 32 new sites would be operational by the end of the year, with all to be on-air by the end of 2017.
“Vodafone is committed to increasing coverage and choice for customers in regional Australia, and we’ve identified 32 sites which will build on our growth in areas outside the major metropolitan centres,” Mr Hanssen said.
“Many customers living in regional and rural Australia don’t have access to reliable coverage, choice of provider or both, and we’re determined to drive change.
“Over recent years, we have invested billions of dollars in our network to deliver improved access to fast, reliable mobile services, and we want to offer more Australians the coverage and competition they need and deserve.”
The 32 new locations are on top of the 70 sites Vodafone is building as part of round one of the Mobile Black Spot Programme in New South Wales, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria.
Chief Strategy Officer Dan Lloyd said Vodafone would continue to advocate for better outcomes for regional customers in the telecommunications policy and regulatory space.
“With the Federal Election campaign now underway, we’re reminding both side of politics of the importance of reliable and affordable 21st century telecommunications services in regional Australia,” Mr Lloyd said.
“It’s crucial that whichever party wins the election ensures the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the current Universal Service Obligation (USO) arrangements leads to meaningful change which benefits customers.
“We think the $300 million in funding provided to Telstra every year to maintain an outdated copper network and payphones in regional areas could be much better spent.
“If a permanent Mobile Black Spot Programme was established, potentially using a portion of those USO funds, the number of regional areas to benefit from increased coverage and choice would increase substantially.
“We’ve also put a proposal to government to buy, at market price, some of the unsold 700MHz spectrum which would allow us to extend our network further, bringing the coverage and choice customers in regional areas need.”
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Notes to editors:
The 32 site locations are:
New South Wales (19): Coffs Harbour Park Beach, Coffs Harbour CBD, Coffs Harbour West, Toormina, Coffs
Harbour Industrial, Coffs Harbour Jetty, Tamworth showgrounds, South Tamworth, West Tamworth,
Taminda, Tamworth Golden Guitar, Coffs Harbour North, Berrigan, Yeoval, Cudal, Tallimba North, Rushes
Creek, Bendemeer and Kootingal.
Queensland (7): Bundaberg East, Bundaberg North, Svensson Heights, Bargara, Elliots Heads, Burnett
Heads and Drillham.
Western Australia (2): Carrabin, Burracoppin.
Tasmania (4): Myrtle Bank, Scottsdale, Campania and Ouse.