Telstra will be upgrading its mobile base station in Malmsbury by adding additional infrastructure to bring better 4G services and new 5G coverage to the community, but the works will require a series of temporary outages or reduction in mobile coverage.
These improvements will temporarily impact Telstra mobile coverage from Monday November 27 to Thursday December 7.
From 7am Monday to 5pm next Thursday, there will be no mobile network coverage from this site.
From Friday December 1 to Thursday December 7, there will be daily interruptions to the network as Telstra completes the testing and integration of the network. The network will be restored at the end of each day.
The mobile network will not be affected over the weekend of December 2 to 3.
Telstra mobile customers will receive text messages advising of the upcoming work.
Landline services, NBN internet services and mobile coverage from other providers will not be impacted. Any calls to Triple Zero from a Telstra mobile when the site is off air will automatically be diverted to any working mobile network for connection to emergency services.
Regional general manager for Telstra, Steve Tinker, said while crews needed to work during daylight for safety, they would only be switching off the site when they needed to and would have it back on as quickly as possible.
“There’s never a good time to undertake this sort of work but once it is completed, it will mean better mobile services for local residents,” Mr Tinker said.
“As a company, we heavily invest in improving regional connectivity and this site is another example of our commitment.
“Over the past seven years to the end of FY23, Telstra invested $11 billion in our mobile network nationally, with $4 billion of this invested in our regional mobile network.”
Tips for improving connectivity while works are under way
For mobile coverage in the interim, if residents have access to a wi-fi signal at home or at work, Telstra encourages them to activate wi-fi calling. This is a free setting on most popular mobile phones and allows your mobile to use a Wi-Fi network to make and receive mobile calls. To find out more you can google Telstra wifi calling or just search in your settings icon on your phone.
Many businesses use the Telstra network for their EFTPOS terminals. However, Telstra does not operate the EFTPOS network; it is operated by financial institutions. Many EFTPOS terminals can also be connected using fixed line or Wi-Fi/nbn internet connections. Retailers should contact their bank for more information and details on how to switch between these methods to ensure continuous service.
Long-term benefits of the site upgrade
The rollout of 5G connectivity for the first time in Malmsbury means customers with Telstra 5G mobile devices will be able to enjoy a better mobile experience. The upgrade also brings added benefits for customers on the Telstra 4G network with more capacity, providing better network connectivity and less congestion in peak periods.
“We’re continuing to expand our 5G network across location and nationally we’re adding new sites to the network every week. Upgrades such as these continue to demonstrate Telstra’s ongoing commitment to regional Australia,” Mr Tinker said.
Once completed, Malmsbury will join more than 4900 Telstra 5G sites on-air within selected areas of more than four hundred cities and towns across Australia. 85 per cent of all Australians now having the ability to access to the Telstra 5G network where they live.
Customers wishing to access 5G on the Telstra network will need a 5G capable device, so for some people, that may mean upgrading your current device.
