Titjikala (mobile), Ali Curung (broadband) part of Telstra’s $40m infrastructure upgrades

TITJIKALA is set to have mobile phone coverage and Ali Curung broadband, after $40 million worth of infrastructure upgrades is carried out in 11 Territory communities.

Telstra mobile phone tower in Augathella, Queensland.

TITJIKALA is set to have mobile phone coverage and Ali Curung broadband, after $40 million worth of infrastructure upgrades is carried out in 11 Territory communities.

Telstra and the NT Government will fund mobile phone coverage works in eight communities that only have landline coverage, including Titjikala, and where possible broadband.

Three communities which already have 3G mobile phone services are set to receive broadband, including Ali Curung in the Barkly region.

Chief Minister Adam Giles said communities were chosen based on population, cost to install, community considerations, business benefits and services along transport routes.

“This remote telecommunications infrastructure program will bring vital services to the bush and improve the lives of thousands of people living and working in remote communities,” he said.

Telstra NT area general manager Nic Danks said about $4.05 million would also be spent by Telstra on digital literacy initiatives including cyber safety programs and telehealth.

“Through broadband services it will allow small businesses to develop, education, teleconferencing, all that stuff you can’t do through a standard landline,” he said.

“There’ll be a digital literacy pilot (in Alice Springs) and depending on how that goes we’ll roll that out to other locations over the three year period.”

Mr Danks said they would work with NT Health and health providers to determine communities to connect to the national telehealth service.

“There was consultation with Northern Land Council and Central Land Council about which communities would receive the infrastructure and if at any point communities decide they don’t want it, we’ll take that into consideration.”

The program would take three years and would now carry out further consultation and preliminary works.

Mr Giles said this funding would tie in with the $5 million Federal Government mobile black spot program which would roll out at Finke, Impanpa, Mount Liebig and Wallace Rockhole.