Warwick readers add to mobile black spot list

A DATABASE has been released of 6000 locations around Australia which have been nominated as having inadequate mobile coverage.

THE Federal Government has released a database of some 6000 locations in outer metropolitan, regional and remote Australia, which have been nominated by Australians as having inadequate mobile coverage.

Locations on the database are eligible to be the subject of a proposal for a new or enhanced mobile base station under the Abbott government's $100 million Mobile Black Spot Program.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher said the volume of locations nominated was "evidence of the strong community demand for improved mobile phone coverage in outer metropolitan, rural and regional Australia".

"The Government's $100 million will be allocated through a competitive selection process, under which Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, as well as specialist mobile infrastructure providers, will nominate locations - drawn from the 6000 on the database - where they would build a new or enhanced mobile base station," Mr Fletcher said.

"The process is expected to leverage at least an additional $100 million in investment from bidding parties, state governments and local councils.

"Following this competitive selection process the government expects that between 250 and 300 new mobile phone base stations will be built around the country."

Mr Fletcher said it was important to understand that although 6000 locations had been nominated, this did not mean that there were 6000 locations where a new base station was required.

"Initial analysis suggests that in many cases the nominated locations are within a few kilometres of another nominated location, meaning that one base station may be able to provide coverage to multiple nominated locations," he said.

The Government will shortly commence the competitive selection process, with a view to announcing the locations which have been selected for funding in the first half of 2015.

The first base stations funded under the program are expected to begin to roll out in the second half of 2015.

Locations nominated in our region include Maryvale, Clifton, Legume, Yangan and Killarney, but according to our readers this is far from a comprehensive list.

On our Facebook site readers report bad reception at Rosenthal Heights, residential areas near the Warwick Golf Course, Allora, Emu Vale, Greymare, Ogilvie Rd, the outskirts of Leyburn, Goomburra and from the Cunningham rest stop to Karara.

A spokesman for Mr Fletcher told the Daily News Wednesday was the cut-off for nominations, so readers should email details of their location to mobilecoverage@ communications.gov.au

The database of mobile black spot locations can be viewed at: www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/ mobile_black_spot_ programme/mapMedia