The Aussie government says it will fix mobile “blackspots” along the state’s five busiest regional rail corridors by partnering with the country’s largest mobile carriers, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone and adding 35 towers to the project.
The $18 million Regional Rail Connectivity Project hopes to improve coverage and connectivity for commuters along the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and Seymour rail lines, which see more than 15.5 million passenger trips annually, according to VicTrak. Having three mobile carriers involved means the government intends to see customers on all three networks get improved coverage, rather than just one carrier’s customer base.
Passengers will begin to experience improved mobile coverage with the new towers by the end of this year, according to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis. “This Australian-first project is a massive win for commuters on our five busiest regional rail corridors – no matter which network they use, they will see improvements,” he said.
As part of the solution, Victoria will be the first state in Australia to implement in-train technology used to boost the signal from mobile towers outside the railcar to devices used inside. The project is expected to boost productivity for regional business commuters, delivering an estimated $20 million per year to the Victorian economy.
April 19, 2018
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