Residents of Calga will benefit from improved mobile coverage because a new mobile base station, funded under the Coalition’s $220m Mobile Black Spot Program, has been switched on.
Minister for Regional Communications, Bridget McKenzie, and Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, said they welcomed the switch on of the new station, located on Peats Ridge Rd, four kilometres off the M1, at Calga. The new mobile base station was completed by Optus and is the latest of five specific sites across the electorate of Robertson to receive new or improved mobile coverage under the program.
Wicks said the new coverage would open new doors for local businesses and the community by providing the same access to mobile services as that in major cities. “The new site addresses a known black spot identified by the local community in Calga, providing them with dedicated mobile reception to make and receive calls, texts and access mobile data,” she said. “Switching on dedicated mobile coverage was particularly important to the residents in this region because it will help boost community safety in the area by ensuring that Calga has access to vital emergency services, which has previously not been possible.
“This site is in addition to the mobile coverage already improved in parts of Mangrove Mountain, Mangrove Creek, Mount White and Somersby. “We have recently committed another $25 million to this program for a fourth round, delivering more mobile coverage for people living, working, travelling throughout and raising their families in regional communities like the Central Coast.” Minister McKenzie said it was fantastic to see that the Mobile Black Spot Program is reaching more and more communities like Calga and Peats Ridge. “The Mobile Black Spot Program is so important for our regions,” she said. “It is delivering much needed new investment in mobile infrastructure across regional Australia to address mobile coverage issues.”
Source: Media release, Jul 25 Charlotte Bowcock, office of Lucy Wicks