Optus has been named as the winning bidder to build a mobile phone tower at Fullerton Cove.
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The community was named as one of 125 priority locations in Round 3 of the Mobile Black Spot Program in May 2017 when the federal government invited tenders.
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson welcomed confirmation that Optus would satisfy the needs of the community.
“In this era it is reasonable to expect that most Australians should be able to stay connected to internet and telephone services,” Ms Swanson said.
“Fullerton Cove is home to a large population of retirees, many of whom consider their lack of mobile phone reception to be a safety issue. There are also young families in the area.”
Ms Swanson said it was also important for road users.
“The community is also the gateway to the Port Stephens area and its roads often strain under holiday traffic,” she said.
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Optus vice president of regulatory and public affairs Andrew Sheridan said the company was proud to partner with the federal government to provide better coverage in regional Australia.
“In the last 12 months we have delivered more than 350 new sites across regional Australia, with ambitious plans for the next 12 months already in place,” he said.
“Optus is already heavily invested in regional Australia and this important government program will enable us to reach even more Australians in regional and rural locations around the country.”
The Fullerton Cove tower will include batter back-up with capacity to sustain mobile phone services for up to 12 hours in the event of a blackout.
Fullerton Cove was one of 12 sites Optus won the contract for last week.
“For us, this is about more than mobile coverage, it’s about giving Australians in rural areas the coverage that they need to stay connected with their family and friends and deliver for their business,” Mr Sheridan said.
Minister for Regional Communications, Bridget McKenzie, welcomed the news.
“I am pleased to see that Optus recognises the coverage problems many of these communities’ face, and that it is moving to address the issues,” she said.
Optus is currently rolling out 114 Federal funded sites across Australia.