MEMBER for Leichhardt Warren Entsch MP has today called for nominations of mobile black spot locations to be submitted by December 31.
“The Commonwealth Government has committed $60 million which will help provide new or upgraded mobile coverage in Leichhardt under Round 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Programme,” Mr Entsch said.
“I strongly encourage councils and residents to nominate their local area for funding before the December 31 deadline.”
Black spot nominations for Round 2 of the Programme can be made online at www.communications.gov.au/blackspots or emailed to warren.entsch.mp@aph.gov.au
“The Coalition Government understands the importance of mobile coverage in regional and remote areas of Australia – outside of metro areas,” said Mr Entsch.
“We invested $100 million under Round 1 of the programme which will see almost 500 new mobile base stations built nationally – including new or upgraded base stations at Coen Airport, Darnley Island and Speewah.
“This is the biggest one-time increase in mobile coverage from a single funding programme in the history of mobile telecommunications in Australia,” said Mr Entsch.
Locations nominated as mobile black spots by people living in Leichhardt will be added to a national database. The database will be provided to mobile operators as part of a competitive selection process, and operators will be required to nominate sites where they would build new or upgraded base stations to serve the nominated black spot locations.
The Government will then select successful locations in accordance with the ranking process set out in the Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 2 guidelines, which will be issued publicly prior to the commencement of the competitive selection process.
The competitive selection process is scheduled to begin in early 2016, and the Government expects to be in a position to announce the successful locations under Round 2 by the end of 2016.
Over 6,000 locations were nominated under Round 1 of the Programme, and those which are not set to receive new or upgraded coverage under Round 1 will remain in the database as eligible locations for Round 2.
A map of mobile black spot locations, and the locations which will receive new or upgraded coverage under the Programme is available at http://nationalmap.gov.au.
For more information, visit: www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/phone/mobile-services-and-coverage/mobile-black-spot-programme.
