Presumably in the hope that the regions will go all the way with VHA, the company has delivered expanded 4G coverage in Westdale in Kootingal as part of a $5.3 investment to build 15 new sites in New England this year.
Sites in the region that have already been activated in 2017 include South Tamworth, West Tamworth, Taminda and Armidale East, with the site at Westdale is the fifth site Vodafone has delivered in the New England region under round one of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.
The company say these latest additions to its network give “consumers and small businesses of the wider Tamworth area more mobile services choice.”
We’re told that “about 126 square kilometres of additional coverage, with 16 kilometres of roadway coverage, is provided by the two sites.”
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Happily for the guys and gals, this includes “reception towards Kootingal and along the thoroughfare between outer Tamworth to the CBD via The New England Highway,” while “coverage now also extends towards Westdale and along the thoroughfare between outer Tamworth to the CBD via New Winton Rd, B56 Oxley Highway, Werris Creek and Duri Road.”
VHA states it is “rolling out 18 sites in the New England region under round one of the Mobile Black Spot Program and a further two sites under round two of the Program. In addition to the Mobile Black Spot Program sites there are nine new Vodafone funded sites planned in the New England Region.”
Rhys Morgan, VHA’s Regional Manager, said its new sites in New England are “the latest steps in the company’s ongoing network investment to support ever-increasing demand for mobile connectivity and services in the area.”
“We continue to be committed to providing quality mobile coverage in the New England region to give families and small businesses choice and value,” continued Morgan.
“More than ever before, customers look to mobile communications to stay connected with family, mates and run their businesses. Customers in New England, specifically around Westdale and Kootingal, will now benefit from enhanced coverage and network performance.”
Deputy PM and Member for New England Barnaby Joyce said the new sites at Westdale and Kootingal are “great examples of how a cooperative development approach can tackle a complex problem.”
“Today we expand 4G coverage in New England. I take this outcome as a positive vote of confidence in the Mobile Black Spot Program. It demonstrates that by working together we can achieve great outcomes and put communities in better stead for the future,” said Joyce.
“People in New England now benefit from greater choice, competition, speed and quality of network service.”
Minister for Regional Communications, the Nationals’ Fiona Nash, said the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program “would deliver 765 mobile phone towers covering some 4,400 coverage black spots across the nation, extending new and upgraded handheld coverage to 86,300 square kilometres of regional and remote Australia.”
“I aim to help build the kinds of communities our children and grandchildren either want to stay in or come back to, and good telecommunications is a big part of that,” said Nash.
“Being a farmer myself, I know how important mobile coverage is and I’m proud the Coalition is delivering it to New England.”
VHA notes it is “rolling out 18 sites in the New England region under round one of the Mobile Black Spot Program.”
The locations are as follows:
Attunga, Barraba, Duri, Elsmore, Fossickers Way, Hallsville, Invergowrie, Manilla, Moonbi, Mount Carrington, Oxley Vale, Piallamore, Sandy Hills, Spring Mountain Road, Tabulam, Walcha, Warral and Westdale.
VHA also notes is rolling out two sites in the New England region under round two of the Mobile Black Spot Program at Doughboy Mountain and Mount Hourigan.
The company also proudly boasts of also building nine new VHA-funded sites at Armidale East, Bendemeer, Kootingal, Rushes Creek, Tamworth Showgrounds, South Tamworth, West Tamworth, Taminda and Tamworth Golden Guitar and three VHA-funded replacement sites at Lake Mountain, Mount Moonbi and Uralla.
You can check out VHA’s interactive regional mobile investment map which includes the locations and timings of the sites being built in regional areas, here.