Joint Release with Senator Scott Ryan: Focus on improved coverage throughout the Beveridge region

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher and Liberal Senator for Victoria, Scott Ryan met with residents from the Beveridge, Wallan and Whittlesea areas today to discuss ways to improve mobile phone coverage.

Residents in the local areas have registered issues with the lack of service available to them. The Better Beveridge Group has presented Senator Ryan with a community petition highlighting the need for improved access to adequate and reliable internet services, and the importance of eliminating mobile phone black spots throughout the Beveridge, Wallan and Whittlesea areas

Senator Ryan said Mr Fletcher’s visit would enable residents to hear first-hand what the Government is doing to reduce black spots and increase internet access and it would also allow the Government to hear directly from local residents.

“I continually receive community feedback that action needs to be taken to fix mobile black spots in the local area,” Senator Ryan said.

“I understand the many difficulties faced by residents who do not have access to adequate mobile phone coverage in their homes and businesses, and the effect that this has on their day-to-day lives.

“Unfortunately, the areas that have poor mobile phone reception are also often at high risk of bushfires, which is why this issue is of the utmost importance to the Government,” Senator Ryan said.

Mr Fletcher is responsible for the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Programme, under which the Government will invest $100 million in telecommunications infrastructure to boost mobile coverage in outer metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.

The Government has established a competitive selection process under which Telstra, Optus and Vodafone are presently preparing bids for funding to build new or upgraded mobile base stations. Their proposals are due to Government this month.

“Mobile black spots in the Beveridge, Wallan and Whittlesea areas 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,” he said.

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 is available on the Department of Communications website: www.communications.gov.au/mobile_services/mobile_black_spot_programme/map