Gemfields town among latest rollout of mobile towers

As the Government targets remote mobile “blackspots”, suburban residents continue to report phone and internet outages.

Map of consumer-reported mobile blackspots

It seems the residents of Rubyvale, in the Gemfields, are the next to benefit from the rollout of more towers to combat mobile “blackspots”.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced the latest phase of the $380 million program.

“We have funded more than 1200 base stations in our highly successful Mobile Black Spot Program, with 905 sites now on air delivering coverage in some of the most hard-to-reach places in Australia,” he said.

“As regional MPs we too know how frustrating it can be when you go to make a call or look up something and you’re unable to due to no coverage, so we’re working hard to address mobile black spots across every corner of regional Australia.”

Regional Communications Minister, Mark Coulton said 182 new mobile base stations were funded under Round 5, including 33 at public interest premises and emergency services facilities.

The data available from the program’s website revealed that, although the stations were to be installed at such attractively named Queensland towns as Duchess and Gunpowder, there are none close to Rockhampton this time around.

According to the data, previous rollouts around Central Queensland included:

• Round 1: Marlborough; Burnett Highway, between Rockhampton and Biloela; Clarke Creek; Capricorn Highway; Bucca; Ubobo; Rannes; Mount Chalmers Road, intersection of Sleipner Road and Mount; Dingo

• Round 2: Bungundarra; Bunundarra; Maroondan; Gregory Developmental Road A; Stanage Bay Road; Jobson Road; West Hill; Bowen Development Road; Carnarvon Gorge Visitor Centre; Carnarvon Wilderness Lodge; Takarakka Bush Camp

• Government Priority Round: Clermont; Emu Park; Koumala; Taroom; Upper Ulam Road; Yeppoon

• Round 4: Builyan State School (PIP); Mistake Creek (PIP)

• Round 5: Rubyvale

Ironically, it seems residents around the Rockhampton CBD continue to suffer mobile phone and internet outages.

A map of consumer complaints about mobile blackspots shows areas much closer to Rockhampton suburbs than the places further afield where towers are being constructed.