Yanchep, Yanchep East, Gingin, Lancelin and Guilderton are all set to benefit from infrastructure upgrades to mobile network sites designed to improve mobile phone services for communities during emergencies.

One hundred and forty-one infrastructure upgrades in WA will be funded as part of the second round of the Commonwealth mobile network hardening program, worth $10.9 million.

The Yanchep (Optus mobile network) will get transmission diversity for a cluster of sites and Yanchep East and Guilderton (Optus) will get CPX (critical power extender).

Optus says CPX is a battery solution which can ensure transmission hubs provide dependent downstream mobile sites an extra 10 to 20 hours continuity of service when the transmission hub’s main grid power fails.

Gingin (Telstra) will get a battery upgrade (12hr) plus a power system upgrade and also a portable battery.

Lancelin (Telstra) will a generator plus a power system upgrade.

WA Local Government Association President Karen Chappel welcomed the funding, saying it would improve the ability of telecommunications services to continue during and following natural disasters such as bushfires, floods and cyclones.

“Both mobile and nbn services are reliant upon ongoing power supply, which is often interrupted during emergency events,’’ she said.

“Better protection against the impacts of power outages to maintain mobile services before, during and after emergencies is critical for local communities.

“Because local governments play such an important role in emergency management, it will also help councils to disseminate important information to their communities to help keep them safe and provide crucial support and services.”

In April last year Moore MLA Shane Love said mobile coverage in regional areas including the Shire of Gingin needed improving as with the old towers a few hours after the power went out there was no coverage.

Another problem was that since the arrival of nbn once the power went out people lost their landlines and in some circumstances this could be a safety issue for older people.

He said Ledge Point, where the tower was positioned to provide highway coverage and not the town, was one example where people in Moore had to put up with communication systems that did not meet expectations.

Councillor Chappel said WALGA, in discussion with its members, state government agencies, telecommunications carriers and power companies, helped to identify relevant criteria for consideration in assessing potential sites for investment, including hazard identification, population distribution and risk profile of local areas.

The program forms part of the commonwealth government’s strengthening telecommunications against natural disasters initiative, with projects completed through a co-funding arrangement between the commonwealth, telecommunications providers and the state government.

They include provision of power generators, increased battery reserves, transmission resilience improvements and protective measures against impacts of bushfires.

Cr Chappel said emergency preparedness was a shared responsibility and this is reflected by the collaborative process followed to identify sites and the joint funding between government and industry.

“We recognise there is still more to be done to improve mobile network resilience across the state, with these 141 sites representing less than 15 per cent of the network across WA.

“This is, however, a great start and we look forward to building on this collaborative approach in the future.”

The above sites and other sites included in the program are listed on the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website.

This article appeared on Yanchep News Online on 19 March 2022.