TROY BELL MP
Member for Mount Gambier
Your Independent voice
in State Parliament
Bell signals $28m Telstra black spot plan
Tuesday June 06, 2023Details of a $28m plan by Telstra to eliminate mobile phone black spots across the entire Lower South East region have been revealed in State Parliament by Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell.
Telstra has been lobbying councils across the SE for funding support but most of these briefings have been in closed session.
Mr Bell has welcomed the tower funding plan outlined by the nation’s major telco and provided details.
“Going forward, there are exciting opportunities around mobile connectivity,” Mr Bell said during a recent 20-minute speech in the House of Assembly.
“I want to congratulate Michael Patterson from Telstra on putting forward a very exciting proposal that would require $5.6m from the State Government, which is 20% of the build cost of 27 sites that would give complete coverage for the Lower South East,” Mr Bell said.
“The Federal Government contribution would be 50%, Telstra themselves 25% and local governments would make a contribution of 5%.
“To have the South East connected through this development of 27 sites would be game changing, particularly for primary industries but also for local communities and businesses and enterprises that would leverage from that.”