The suburbs of Clyde and Clyde North have welcomed Christmas early after the installation of yet another cell tower.
Marking the second instalment of the year, the tower at 36 Bells Road in Clyde is a much-welcome addition for the residents of the suburb and surrounding area after the notoriety for unreliable mobile connection has grown over the years.
The minister for government services, Gabrielle Williams, announced on Thursday 5 December, the completion of the tower, which improves TPG and Optus coverage for over 8000 premises and delivers an 18-kilometre-squared upgraded outdoor 4g and 5g coverage.
“We know the communities of Clyde and Clyde North have struggled with poor coverage in the area for some time – by supporting these new towers we are providing residents and businesses with better connectivity,” Williams said.
Prior to this, the State Government has also backed the construction of two Telstra mobile towers in the area, one in Ramlegh Reserve in Clyde North and another in Berwick Springs in Narre Warren South, both of which began transmitting in July.
General manager of wireless access for TPG Telecom, David Yeo, said that they are proud to be part of the Connecting Victoria program and “helping to boost mobile connectivity for homes and businesses across the state”.
“Initiatives like these are a big step forward in making sure our communities have reliable and high-quality mobile coverage to support their work, school and entertainment needs,” he said.
Likewise, Optus local general manager of Victoria, Jayson Grool, said that they are “delighted to play a key role in the Connecting Victoria Program”.
“Unlocking greater opportunities for Victorians and enhancing connectivity for communities across the state.
“We’re committed to delivering reliable, high-quality network coverage that empowers Australians to thrive in every aspect of their daily lives,” Grool said.
Telstra regional manager for Eastern Victoria, Jenny Gray, said that these new towers are a “great example of what carriers like Telstra and the Victorian government can achieve by working together to bring new connectivity to regional locations”.
The Clyde North tower and the Narre Warren South tower provide roughly 7.6 square kilometres of combined outdoor 4g and 5g mobile coverage across more than 6700 premises.
This new tower provides much-needed support for local businesses such as Alana Taylor Photography, who previously only took enquiries and bookings via email due to the unreliability of mobile connection.
Alana, who previously had not been able to communicate with customers through the phone, said that “the poor mobile coverage has been a significant challenge”.
“Until now I’ve taken enquiries and bookings via email only because the mobile coverage has been too unreliable to do it by phone, but for my clients – many of whom are new parents who need quick and easy communication – that hasn’t been ideal.
“Better mobile coverage will not only streamline how I run my business and improve client satisfaction, it’ll also make life easier for everyone in this community,” she said.
Southeastern metropolitan MP, Michael Galea was present during the previous instalment of the Clyde North tower, and has been a vocal advocate for more coverage in parliamentary discussions.
“I know firsthand how frustrating the lack of mobile reception in Clyde North is,” he said.
“That’s why I’m so pleased the government has stepped in to deliver these much-needed towers after a decade of neglect.”
Through the Connecting Victoria program, around 153 eligible premises in Clyde now have access to high-capacity fibre technology, which, under the same campaign, also funded nine mobile projects in Clyde and Clyde North with Telstra, Optus and TPG.
