Focus on improved mobile coverage in Longman

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher and Federal Member for Longman Wyatt Roy met residents from two local communities today to discuss ways to improve mobile phone coverage.

Under its Mobile Black Spot Programme, the Federal Government will invest $100 million in telecommunications infrastructure to boost mobile coverage in outer metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.

Mr Roy arranged Mr Fletcher’s visit as an opportunity for Donnybrook and Mount Mee residents to directly address their reported problems with mobile phone coverage.

“It’s great that Paul Fletcher can spend time in the local streets of Donnybrook and Mt Mee at ‘community corner’ events to hear first-hand from a range of constituents and community representatives," Mr Roy said.

“I receive consistent community feedback that action needs to be taken to fix mobile black spots in parts of Longman which is why I was determined that Paul get to meet and listen to locals on the ground.

“Paul has been driving the Coalition's Mobile Black Spot Programme to improve mobile phone coverage, especially in smaller communities.”

The Government has started a competitive selection process which will see mobile network operators and infrastructure providers bid for funding to provide new or improved mobile coverage.

With the programme guidelines now issued, Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and other bidding parties can start to prepare their proposals, which must be lodged by April 2015.

“Mobile black spots in Longman will be eligible for funding proposals under the Government’s $100 million Mobile Black Spot Programme,” Mr Fletcher said.

 “We aim to announce the locations of the base stations to be funded during the first half of 2015 – and we expect the first base stations under the programme will begin to roll out in the second half of 2015.”

The Programme is expected to fund between 250 and 300 new mobile phone base stations around Australia.

A database of all nominated black spot locations in Longman is available on the Department of Communications website: www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/mobile_black_spot_programme/map