Thirty-one Tasmanian regional areas will finally have mobile telephone service thanks to the Mobile Black Spot Programme, a joint Commonwealth-and Tasmanian Government initiative.
The delivery of 31 new or upgraded mobile base stations in Tasmania will fix a large number of mobile black spots around the state.
“The Hodgman Liberal Government invested $350,000 in last year’s State Budget as a co-contribution to the Mobile Black Spot Program,” Minister Ferguson said.
“Today’s announcement is a great outcome for Tasmania and will fix 113 mobile black spots across Tasmania.”
“Mobile coverage is critical for people living outside major cities and has clear benefits for public safety, business, education, tourism. That’s why the Hodgman Liberal Government made a significant investment to help fix these black spots around the state.”
“The Program will improve mobile coverage along important transport routes, in small communities and in locations which may experience natural disaster such as bushfires.
The total to be invested in new and upgraded base stations in Tasmania under the Program is $21.41 million. This reflects close cooperation between the Commonwealth Government and Tasmanian Liberal Governments, and investment from mobile network operators in response to the competitive selection process.
The Commonwealth Government contributed a total of $100 million to fix mobile black spots nationally. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher said the outcome of the Mobile Black Spot Programme had significantly exceeded expectations.
‘It is pleasing that the Tasmanian Government has worked closely with the Commonwealth Government to maximise the amount of funding available – and in turn maximise the impact of this Program to provide new and improved mobile coverage in areas which need it,’ Mr Fletcher said.
In addition to the Commonwealth and Tasmanian government funding commitments, the Program has leveraged significant private sector investment from the mobile network operators.
The successful locations were chosen following a competitive selection process, with the mobile network operators asked to nominate sites where they would build new or upgraded base stations to serve the black spot locations nominated by the public. The Commonwealth Government selected the locations in accordance with the ranking process set out in the Program guidelines issued publicly in December 2014.
The Commonwealth Government undertook an extensive public consultation process to determine black spot locations around
Australia, with over 6,000 locations included in a national database which was shared with mobile network operators under the competitive selection process.
Base stations to be funded under the Program will roll out over a three year period.
A map of locations in Tasmania which will receive new or upgraded coverage under the first round of funding under the Mobile Black Spot Programme is available from www.communications.gov.au/mobile_coverage
The 31 locations are:
• Vodafone Apslawn
• Vodafone Bicheno
• Vodafone Bothwell
• Vodafone Brandum
• Vodafone Buckland
• Telstra Cramps Bay
• Telstra Eggs And Bacon Bay
• Telstra Elliott
• Telstra Gawler
• Vodafone Goshen
• Vodafone Hamilton
• Vodafone Highland Lakes Road
• Telstra Loyetea
• Telstra Lulworth
• Vodafone Lyell Highway
• Telstra Melrose
• Vodafone Miena
• Telstra Mole Creek
• Telstra Nunamara
• Vodafone Okehampton Beach
• Vodafone Pyengana
• Telstra Rossarden
• Telstra Sisters Beach
• Telstra South Riana
• Vodafone Swansea
• Vodafone Takone
• Telstra Targa
• Vodafone Tarraleah
• Vodafone Tasman Highway
• Vodafone Verona Sands
• Telstra Whitefoord
