Improved mobile coverage for towns in regional Australia

Mobile phone coverage in many regional, rural and remote communities moves a step closer with the announcement of Telstra as the successful tenderer for the Federal Government's program to provide coverage for communities with populations of 500 or more.

Under the program 132 communities will receive CDMA coverage and 40 towns will also receive additional GSM base stations to supplement existing services.

In addition the Government has also committed a further $50.5 million to improve regional mobile phone coverage:

• to towns with populations less than 500
• a satellite phone handset subsidy scheme

Towns over 500 to receive mobile phone coverage in the NT:

Borroloola
Lajamanu
Ngukurr
Numbulwar
Gunbarllanjnja (Oenpelli)
Timber Creek
Yuendumu

The Government is investigating alternative telecommunications solutions for:

Galiwinku (Elcho Island)
Maningrida
Milingimbi
Wadeye (Port Keats)

Satellite phone grants for outback

The Federal Government has also announced that people living beyond mobile phone coverage could apply for the one-off grant of up to $1100 to cover 50% of the purchase price of a satellite phone handset.

To coincide with this offer Telstra plans to announce a review of iridium satellite phones currently priced between $2000 - $10,000 and introduce a new billing mechanism.

Details of the subsidy are yet to be released however, as soon as they are available they will be posted to the GPERU website.