Queensland local councils have congratulated the Federal Government on its latest announcement of funding for 26 new mobile base stations, a move that should lead to significant improvement in telecommunications services in rural and regional parts of the state.
The Local Government Association of Queensland said the latest round of funding under the Government’s Mobile Black Spots program would mean a big lift for local economies.
LGAQ chief executive Greg Hallam said poor mobile phone coverage was a consistent bug bear for regional Queensland.
“This program, partly funded by the Federal and State governments and supported by councils under the co-contributions through the Infrastructure Development Fund set up by Telstra and the LGAQ, goes to the heart of helping regional communities,” he said.
“We will also be pushing both major parties contesting the upcoming election to commit $25 million a year to a digital local government and regional/rural telecommunications program.”
The new base stations should be operational by the end of 2019.
