Dwellingup will Receive New Base Station for Improved Mobile Coverage

CAMPERS know it is near impossible to get mobile phone coverage in the hills around Dwellingup.

Dwellingup is one of 500 areas around Australia that will receive a new and upgraded base station, the Liberal government announced last week.

This will hopefully improve mobile coverage in the area.

Successful locations were chosen based on mobile network operators saying where they would build new or upgraded base stations to serve the black spot locations identified by the public.

Dwellingup is one of the highest risk areas in WA for major fires and emergencies, according to Murray-Wellington MLA Murray Cowper.

Mr Cowper said he has been campaigning for funding for a reliable phone service in the area.

Mr Cowper said the case of poor mobile reception in Dwellingup was well documented and could be traced to a makeshift tower in the centre of Dwellingup.

“Reception is still fine in central Dwellingup, but it disappears once you get into the hills just out of town,” Mr Cowper said.

“This means that thousands of students, tourists and government and private workers are in the Dwellingup forests every day with no outside contact.

“The glaring anomaly in mobile phone coverage in Dwellingup has been a major risk potential for emergency services, local businesses and Government agencies in the area for some time.”

A construction timeline for the new 4g mobile base station in Dwellingup has yet to be announced.

The first base stations funded under the program will be rolled out before the end of 2015 and will continue for a three year period.

The rollout sequence will be determined by Telstra and Vodafone based on various factors including local government planning approvals for new base stations.