Mobile connectivity in the northern suburbs is set to improve, with the state government partnering with Optus to build new mobile towers and upgrade existing ones.
Two mobile towers will be built and three existing towers upgraded to 5G as part of the government’s Connecting Victoria program.
The upgrades will improves coverage in Attwood, Gladstone Park, Keilor North, Melbourne Airport, Sunbury, Tullamarine and Westmeadows, the government said.
The works will be carried out between 2024 and 2026, delivering improved services across more than 135 square kilometres in areas north of Melbourne, benefiting more than 27,000 premises.
Earlier this year the government released the Connecting Victoria engagement report, voicing the needs of more than 11,000 Victorians for better mobile and broadband connections.
Key feedback from the report made it clear that improved mobile services are needed in this area to keep pace with population growth, helping to boost tourism and the local economy.
The Government’s $550 million Connecting Victoria program is fast-tracking improvements to mobile coverage and
Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Minister Jaala Pulford said the government knew that connectivity lags are holding back businesses and affecting people’s everyday lives in Melbourne’s
outer suburbs.
“Improved connectivity gives people more choice and options when it comes to finding the right plan at the right cost to meet their needs,” she said.
Optus regulatory and public affairs vice-president Andrew Sheridan thanked the government for its “significant investment”, adding that it will go a long way in “strengthening the mobile infrastructure across northern Melbourne”.
