Residents of Wyndham in the hinterland of New South Wales' far south coast can now enjoy new and improved mobile coverage thanks to the Government's highly successful $380 million Mobile Black Spot Program.
The recently switched-on macro cell base station, jointly funded by the Federal Government, Telstra and the New South Wales Government, will deliver 3G and 4G coverage to the Wyndham Township and surrounding area.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said that this includes over 90 square kilometres of new coverage, which will benefit more than 140 local premises and businesses and nearby farms.
"Wyndham was hit hard by the bushfires last summer, and the community is still recovering. While no telecommunications network is 100 per cent impervious to damage from natural disasters, new towers funded through the Mobile Black Spot Program provide an alternative communications option if another network goes down during an emergency situation," Minister Fletcher said.
Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, the Hon Mark Coulton MP, said that the tower's coverage will also extend along sections of Myrtle Mountain Road and Mount Darragh Road.
"Mount Darragh Road connects Bombala with Pambula and the far south coast region and is animportant transport route for the area," Minister Coulton said.
"The additional coverage along this road will help locals and tourists stay connected when it matters most - before, during and after an emergency."
Welcoming the switch-on of the base station at Wyndham, Senator Jim Molan AO DSC said the additional connectivity from the tower will help to support the recovery of small businesses in the area, including the local store, post office and service station.
"The coverage from the new Wyndham base station will also complement coverage from other Mobile Black Spot Program towers at Nethercote, Towamba and Cathcart, which have been on air since December 2016, June 2017, and July 2020 respectively," Senator Molan said.
