MOBILE phone coverage is set to improve at Sandy Point with the construction of a new tower going ahead over the next couple of months.
Details of the long-awaited project to improve mobile coverage at the popular holiday destination will be provided at a community meeting at the Sandy Point Community Centre at 11am this Friday, April 29.
Among those in attendance will be representatives of Telstra, as well as federal MP Russell Broadbent and local shire councillors.
The planning permit was recently issued, so construction of the tower should begin shortly and be complete by the middle of the year.
Sandy Point is getting the tower as part of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program, one of the largest ever expansions of mobile coverage in regional and remote Australia. Over three years, Telstra is building 429 new 3G and 4GX sites – a combined investment, with the Federal Government and several state and local governments, of more than $340 million.
“This is a big deal for our community and represents more than $500,000 of infrastructure investment, as well as excellent telecommunications for our town,” enthused Sandy Point community activist Neil Shaw.
The tower can’t come soon enough for many Sandy Point residents, who have long endured poor mobile phone reception.
“Using a mobile phone at Sandy Point can be very difficult,” said local Flo Larking. She uses a landline, but members of her family try to use their mobiles when they come to visit and this can be very frustrating.
“They have to find a spot where they can get reception and stand there to use their phone. You see people standing around in all sorts of strange places to get mobile phone reception!” laughed Ms Larking. “It’s slow, too. Sometimes it takes ages for texts to get through.”
Improving the mobile phone service at Sandy Point will be greatly appreciated, she said.
Anyone who would like to know more about this exciting project is invited to go along to the community meeting this Friday morning.
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