Two new mobile base towers will be installed in the Toowoomba region – funded through Round Five of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Programme – handing locals and travellers a secure connection in the digital age, 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.
“I’m pleased to see that an Optus tower will be installed at Cooyar, on the New England Highway, and a Telstra tower at the Lake Perseverance Active Recreation Centre.
“Cooyar is an important hub for farmers and traffic moving around the Darling Downs region so this tower is going to bring plenty of benefits – improved business connections, the ability to contact emergency services with more ease, and keeping us in touch with close friends and family.
“While we can’t travel at the moment unless it’s essential, the Lake Perseverance Active Recreation Centre will return as a hotspot for bushwalkers, kayakers and water sports enthusiasts once where through the pandemic.
“Having stronger mobile reception here will bring peace of mind to its users in case of emergency.
“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.
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