Council advocates for improved mobile connectivity

Published on 26 October 2023

Gannawarra Shire Council continues to advocate for improved mobile connectivity throughout the municipality.

As part of Council’s ongoing efforts, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Roger Griffiths and other staff met last week with Telstra’s Regional General Manager, Steve Tinker and Regional Engagement Manager, Adrienne Holobowski to discuss Telstra’s priorities for the Gannawarra Shire.

“Keeping our residents connected digitally is becoming increasingly important as society becomes reliant on mobile phones and computers,” Mr Griffiths said.

“This was evident during the October-December 2022 floods, where many of our residents could not receive up to date information regarding flood levels and service changes due to limited mobile phone or National Broadband Network reception.

“As a Council, we are committed to ensuring all residents can keep connected at all times, not just during times of emergencies.”

One of the key items of discussion was the 3G mobile network, which is scheduled to be switched off on 30 June 2024. To prepare for this, residents whose mobiles phones are only 3G compliant are urged to upgrade their device, with rural residents requested to check their on-farm monitoring devices to ensure they are 4G or 5G compliant.

Businesses that provide eftpos for purchasing will also be impacted, with owners encouraged to speak to their bank to check that their devices are 4G or 5G compliant.

Discussions also focused on Council’s efforts to advocate for the installation of a mobile phone reception tower at Benjeroop, which would build on recent tower upgrades at Lalbert, Lake Meran and Sandhill Lake, as well as the introduction of 5G services at Kerang and Koondrook/Barham.

“Telstra’s partnership with Starlink will also boost connectivity for our rural residents, especially those who rely on satellite to access the National Broadband Network,” Mr Griffiths said.

“Council will continue to work with mobile service providers to ensure that our residents have the best connectivity options available.”