TNQ black spots get upgrade
Message received. Mobile reception is getting boosted in key areas.
Dodgy mobile service in remote parts of tropical north Queensland is set to improve with new mobile base stations poised to wipe out key black spots.
Notorious dead spots at Cape Tribulation and Injinoo will come into range along with Whyanbeel, Ayton and Keatings Lagoon as part of the second round a Federal Government program.
Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch says the locations were identified through an appeal to the public to nominate black spots.
“Improved mobile coverage for Cape Tribulation will be fantastic for tourism given that visitors to the region expect to be able to share their experiences as they travel,” he says.
“Businesses and residents at both Cape Tribulation and Whyanbeel have been active in lobbying for this result and I congratulate them on their success.
“The new coverage at Ayton extends the footprint of mobile coverage from Wujal Wujal, which is an important safety issue for people travelling the route through to Cooktown, and a new tower at Hutchinson’s Road near Keatings Lagoon fixes this known black spot just south of Cooktown.
“Injinoo has also had patchy reception at best so I’m looking forward to being able to experience much better call quality in the future.”
Minister for Regional Communications Fiona Nash says the region’s new base stations - which will be built by Telstra and Optus - are part of a broader strategy to get regional and remote communities in range.
“[The] program will deliver new coverage to 32,000 homes and businesses across 86,000 square kilometres including 7600 of major transport routes via 765 new mobile phone towers,” Minister Nash says.
Weipa, Mt Carbine, Cape Tribulation-Daintree and Wonga Beach along the Mossman-Daintree Rd will gain improved reception in the next phase of the rollout.
Including co-contributions from carriers and state governments, the second round represents a total of $213 million invested in better mobile coverage across Australia.
