Vodafone increases its 4G footprint in Tasmania

Vodafone investing $5 million in 17 new sites in Tasmania in 2017

Vodafone, together with Federal Minister for Regional Communications Fiona Nash, today announced that it has switched on sites to provide improved 4G services1 in the Steppes and Ouse areas of Tasmania.

The new site at Steppes will provide expanded 4G mobile coverage between Bothwell and Steppes State Reserve. It is one of the 18 new sites being built in Tasmania by Vodafone as part of the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.

Built under round one of the Mobile Black Spot Program, the new site will deliver a total of 94.5 square kilometres of additional 4G mobile coverage to the region. This includes 8.5km of new handheld coverage on major transport routes, improving communications for travellers through regional Tasmania.

In addition, and separate to the Mobile Black Spot Program, Vodafone has switched on a network site in the Central Highlands town of Ouse. This will provide 83.5 square kilometres of additional coverage, including 29.1kilometres of new coverage along major transport routes.

Vodafone is investing $28 million in total on new and upgraded sites in Tasmania between 2013 and the end of 2018. By the end of next year, Vodafone will have built 57 new sites in Tasmania in five years, including 17 new sites this year alone at a cost of around $5 million.

This coverage expansion is the next step in Vodafone’s continued push to give people more mobile services choice across Australia, including in regional and rural areas. Vodafone is committed to investing in regional areas where it makes sense to do so, and is also pushing for regulatory arrangements that will deliver Australia’s best opportunity to drive mobile investment.

“We know how important reliable mobile coverage is to regional Australia, and we’re very proud to be delivering expanded 4G services to people who live, work and travel through and around Steppes and Ouse through the Mobile Black Spot Program and our own standalone investment,” said Vodafone Regional Manager, Kevin Biles

“The Mobile Black Spot Program is a fantastic initiative, and a great example of what industry and government can achieve when they work together for the benefit of regional customers.”

Minister for Regional Communications Fiona Nash said the Federal Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program would deliver 765 mobile phone towers covering some 4,400 coverage black spots across the nation, extending new and upgraded handheld coverage to 86,300 square kilometres of regional and remote Australia.

“I aim to help build the kinds of communities our children and grandchildren either want to stay in or come back to, and good telecommunications is a big part of that,” Minister Nash said.
Vodafone