Telstra is planning to improve mobile phone coverage for Kyneton by erecting a macro base station as a light pole swap out at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
Steve Tinker, Telstra regional general manager, said Telstra had been working to improve the mobile service situation in Kyneton for some time, including installing a new site at Mineral Springs in 2019, adding 5G in 2020, and installing an additional sector to the existing base station on Bourke Street in 2022.
“We know that there is more to do to ensure that Kyneton residents have access to reliable and consistent mobile network,” Mr Tinker said.
“We are proposing a combination of solutions, these include provision of a macro base station at the Kyneton Showgrounds, an additional sector (antenna) at the existing Mineral Springs mobile base station and 10 5G small cells strategically positioned across the town.
“We’ve been working really collaboratively with Macedon Ranges Shire Council to try to come up with suitable plans, a bit like we did with Woodend where we put a rooftop base station at the Coles supermarket, which has made a significant difference there.
“So we’re looking at solutions that are suitable for the community as a whole and will provide that additional service.
“We’ve been working with the footy club in Kyneton and we’re looking to swap out the light pole near the scoreboard at the showgrounds so we can keep the lights on it but we can actually put some mobile antennas on top of that.
“We’re looking also to provide a number of small 5G cells around some parts of Kyneton and they work together to provide depth of coverage and greater speeds for people to use their devices in those areas.
“Technology and people’s usage has moved on significantly from when we first built the original mobile base station at the southern end of Kyneton.”
DROP-IN SESSION
Mr Tinker said Telstra was keen to progress plans for Kyneton as quickly as possible and would be holding a community drop-in information session to demonstrate their intent to improve the existing services and be transparent about the proposed solutions.
“It also gives the Telstra team an opportunity to understand some of the local connectivity issues residents may be experiencing,” he said.
The drop-in information session on February 22 is at the Kyneton Football Club Rooms, Mollison Street Kyneton, from 2pm to 6pm.
“We encourage local interested residents to come by and talk to our Telstra experts and see what we are proposing, the locations and expected service improvement,” Mr Tinker said.
