WA hails better mobile coverage

in brief SingTel subsidiary Optus is halfway through a state government-backed project to install some 94 mobile base stations across Western Australia.

"The deployment of mobile facilities has been across metropolitan, rural and regional WA, with regional phone facilities also planned for Broome, the Burrup Peninsula, Derby, Newman and Tom Price," said Optus WA state manager Vince Troth in a statement. Optus currently claims coverage of more than 91 percent of the WA population.

State Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan said the deployment was an example of how government procurement dollars could be pooled for community benefit -- a model also being pursued in the AU$1 billion Statewide Broadband Network currently being planned by WA.

How's the mobile phone coverage in WA? Getting better or still stuck in the dark ages? Post your comments below this article.

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Talkback 3 comments

  1. Do they only invest when someone else pays? Anonymous -- 14/02/07

    Why is it that every time I hear about a Singtel Optus investment or network upgrade someone else seems to be bankrolling the work.

    Do the WA government get any of the investment returns?

    1. Because... Anonymous -- 15/02/07

      ...that is what the media decide to report on. Optus do plenty of expansion themselves as well.

  2. Optus Anonymous -- 01/03/07

    They are a pure profit driven companyand are happy only servicing areas were profits are high or they are getting subsidies. It is only Telstra that continues to invest for the total Australian population and not just for the city slickers.

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