Optus switches on new mobile black spot in Napoleon Reef

Optus has switched on a new mobile site in Napoleon Reef providing improved coverage to the town as part of the Governments Mobile Black Spot Program.
The new Optus site, which was jointly funded by Optus along with the NSW Government and Federal Government as part of Round 2 of the Federal Governments Mobile Black Spot Program, will offer residents of the village with dedicated and more reliable mobile coverage for the first time. The tower will also offer enhanced coverage along the Great Western Highway between Yetholme and Raglan.
To continue reading the article: click here. (miragenews.com)
TPG writes down $76 million spent on ditched mobile network rollout

TPG says that following a review it has reduced the value of spectrum licences its holds by $92 million and will write-down $76 million in capital expenditure associated with the now-halted roll out a mobile network.
TPG announced in January that it was dumping its plan to roll out a mobile network. The telco blamed the government’s decision to block the use of Huawei equipment in 5G networks. TPG said the Huawei ban meant that there would be no straightforward path to upgrade its small cell based 4G network to the new wireless standard.
To continue reading the article: click here. (computerworld.com.au)
'Biggest fight yet': NSW Nationals' $5 billion battle for the bush

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has gone head to head with his Liberal colleagues to deliver the NSW Nationals' biggest spending election campaign in the party's history as it fights to hold on to the bush and government.
Launching the Nationals' campaign in Queanbeyan today, Mr Barilaro will make $3 billion worth of election promises, taking the party's campaign war chest to $5 billion to date, with more still to come in the lead-up to the March 23 election.
Included in this $3 billion package are new funding commitments for water security measures, upgrading regional roads, addressing mobile connectivity, and youth initiatives.
To continue reading the article: click here. (smh.com.au)
New tower provides better mobile coverage

IT IS now easier to use your mobile phone in Maidenwell with a new Optus tower in town improving coverage.
The new tower on Kingaroy-Cooyar Road provides enhanced coverage to more than 200 residents 15 kilometres from the site.
The tower is funded through the Australian Government's Mobile Black Spot Program.
To continue reading the article: click here. (southburnetttimes.com.au)
Boat Harbour residents to get Telstra and Optus mobile phone towers

The long-suffering residents of Boat Harbour are rejoicing following news this week that mobile phone reception will soon be restored after years of interrupted service.
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson has sent out letters to affected residents, informing them that construction was expected to begin next month on extending the existing Telstra phone tower in Fishermans Bay Road [atop the water tower] to better service the Boat Harbour region.
At the same time Optus has lodged a development application with Port Stephens Council to construct a $180,000 mobile phone base station comprising a 25m monopole and associated infrastructure at the same Fishermans Bay Road site.
To continue reading the article: click here. (portstephensexaminer.com.au)
Phone faults and no help

With no mobile service residents of Bowmans Creek and Goorangoola rely on their landlines for all telecommunications.
But now even those landlines have become unreliable, a situation which the community feels, puts lives and property at risk.
“We are members of the Rural Fire Service (RFS) and how can anyone be contacted when neither our landlines or mobiles work,” said an extremely frustrated Kayla Marshall.
To continue reading the article: click here. (singletonargus.com.au)
Telstra service interruptions over next nine days as Ballarat Exchange upgrades take place

Telstra mobile customers around Ballarat have been warned of service disruption over the next nine days as technicians upgrade the main mobile tower at the Ballarat Telephone Exchange.
The works will add more coverage and capacity to the network as the city's population continues to grow.
Mobile towers have three large panels that each offer 120 degrees of coverage, and these will be shut down one at a time as technicians work on them.
"Residents may notice an intermittent or temporary reduction of mobile coverage while this upgrade is occurring," a Telstra spokesman said.
To continue reading the article: click here. (thecourier.com.au)
What does the end of TPG's mobile network mean?

Industry specialists believe that TPG ceased the rollout of its mobile network for many reasons but not because of the Government ban on Huawei equipment.
Telecommunications consultant Paul Budde referred to the Huawei ban as a "great excuse for the company to abandon its ambitious infrastructure plans".
"Building such a new network doesn’t make economic sense, especially within the context of a merger with Vodafone. This, in essence, would mean that the merged entity would have two separate mobile networks which would largely overlap each other’s markets," Budde wrote in a blog post.
To continue reading the article: click here. (arnnet.com.au)
Fears phone tower could hurt Tweed children

FURIOUS parents in Banora Point fear a phone tower proposed to be built within 500 metres of a primary school and two childcare centres could negatively affect the brains of developing children.
In November, Vodafone put forward a development application for a powerful new 35-metre mobile phone tower to be built within 250 metres of Banora Point Primary School, despite a policy by the NSW Department of Education stating it recommends towers be "at least 500 metres" from the boundary of a school property.
Cherubs Preschool and Caterpillar Tree Family Day Care are also within the 500-metre limit.
To continue reading the article: click here. (tweeddailynews.com.au)
China's 5G riches are a blocked number for investors

How can investors profit from China's race with the United States for 5G supremacy? Finding the answer is as tricky as figuring out the geopolitics.
China's sleepy telecom stocks came back to life after Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was detained in Canada in early December.
While the official charge was that the company had violated US sanctions on Iran, many in Beijing interpreted the action as another attempt by the US to thwart China's advance in 5G. According to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, Huawei leads the world in the some essential patents for next-generation wireless technology,
To continue reading the article: click here. (afr.com)