New Telstra mobile base station set to improve coverage along dangerous coastline in Torndirrup National Park

Safety has been boosted along one of Albany’s most rugged and dangerous coastlines, with the recent construction of a Telstra mobile base station bringing improved coverage to Torndirrup National Park. The lack of mobile coverage in the park has long raised concerns for emergency services and visitors, particularly during life-threatening incidents. Those concerns were highlighted by two coronial inquiries into three rock-fishing deaths at Salmon Holes in 2015 and 2016, when contacting emergency services proved difficult alongside a scourge of another rescue incidents within the park. Telstra’s regional general manager for WA Boyd Brown said the issue had been a major concern for the community and emergency responders. “This is one of the most popular national parks in WA,” he said. “We know the lack of mobile coverage has been of high concern for residents, emergency services and visitors to this breathtaking but extremely dangerous section of coastline. “This project has been a long time in the making due to permits required and difficulty accessing the national park, and also due to the provision of power to the lighthouse and mobile tower facility.” Mr Brown said the new station would provide better communication and more advanced features for visitors to the area. “The new base station will help provide vital communications during emergencies,” he said. “It will also support local tourism and enable visitors to access all sorts of information, such as the latest weather updates, fire alerts or warnings about local boating conditions.” Across Australia, Telstra has partnered with the Commonwealth Government to fund construction or upgrade of 168 sites across 147 different telecommunications projects. The projects range from transmission, coverage, and capacity upgrades to construction of new macro or small-cell mobile base stations in black spot areas. Mr Brown said it was important to bring improved mobile connectivity to regional areas. “Co-investment programs . . . where Telstra and the Commonwealth and State Government work together to share the cost in bringing new connectivity in regional and rural locations are really important in helping deliver great connectivity outcomes and enabling all Australians to participate fully in the digital economy,” he said. “As a company, we are committed to improving regional connectivity, and this site is another example of that work. “Over the seven years to the end of the 2025 financial year, Telstra invested $12.4 billion in our mobile network nationally, with $4.7b of this invested in our regional mobile network. “We know how important mobile connectivity is becoming for Australians, and we can see this each day in our network data.”