The Australian Government has announced almost 500 new or upgraded mobile base stations will be rolled out around Australia under the Mobile Black Spot Programme.
The base stations will provide new handheld coverage to 68,600 square kilometres and new external antenna coverage to over 150,000 square kilometres, and over 5,700 kilometres of major transport routes will receive new handheld or external antenna coverage.
Under the programme, a total of $385 million will be invested in new and upgraded base stations.
This reflects strong proposals from the mobile network operators in response to the competitive selection process, and close cooperation between the federal government and other levels of government.
The first base stations will be rolled out before the end of 2015 and the rollout will continue for a three year period.
The government has separately announced that it will fund a Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 2, with an allocation of $60 million.
- Media release: Mobile Black Spot Programme to deliver almost 500 new or upgraded base stations
- Media release: Government commits $60 million to Round 2 of Mobile Black Spot Programme
- Mobile Black Spot Programme page