Maranoa MP: Expanding Hungerford’s digital future 

April 21, 2020

A Telstra tower will be installed at Hungerford this year – funded through Round Five of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Programme – boosting the community’s digital access, Maranoa MP David Littleproud said.

“I promised before being elected to improve mobile coverage and in the last term I secured 35 new towers. An additional 11 across Maranoa builds on the Federal Government’s commitment to improve connectivity across regional Australia,” Mr Littleproud said.

“For the Hungerford community, graziers in the area and in better times, the travellers who pass through this area, a mobile tower  is going to really boost how we conduct business and keep in touch with loved ones further afield.

“When we are past the pandemic, travellers heading north or to Lake Currawinya are going to be able to access a wider variety of online tools to make choices in how they travel around the area.

“It’s going to keep the us up to speed – faster – on what’s going on whether it’s a telehealth GP appointment, secure banking transactions with SMS security, downloading school resources or connecting with close ones further afield.

“Breaks in our communications hinder emergency services, tourism and business – that’s why this program is so important for Maranoa and why I’ve been advocating so hard on this issue.”

The announcement, made by Mr Littleproud, the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Hon Paul Fletcher, and Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, Hon Mark Coulton, comes as more than $836 million is being invested in new mobile infrastructure across the Mobile Black Spot Program’s five rounds.

“More than 77 per cent of the 1047 base stations funded through the first four rounds of the Program are now complete taking us past the 800 mobile base station milestone,” Minister Fletcher said.

Eleven base stations under Round 5 in Maranoa are scheduled to roll out in the coming months and are expected be activated by the end of the year.

“Our Mobile Black Spot program is connecting regional communities and businesses, enabling them to contribute more effectively to our local, regional and national economies,” Minister Coulton said.

More information about the program is available at: communications.gov.au/mbsp.

The Federal Government is contributing a total of $34 million to Round 5 of the Program.

ENDS