Awful Outback mobile and internet service

**superquag** · 26th January 2016, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

It is possible for the phone companies to improve the mobile service in the outback, if they are pushed to do it. Satellite feeds to towns are one option.

Birdsville gets first satellite-fed 3G service - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Part of the problem is the system adopted by the Hawke Government which made each phone company erect its own network, so you get duplication of networks at a higher cost. There is another option of having only one national network and letting multiple phone companies pay licence fees to operate on that network, making it self-funding. Theoretically, we could have had a much greater coverage for the same cost under that model. However, those that are supposedly wiser than us rejected the national network model in favour of a competition model, which has had exactly the negative effects which were predicted - duplicated costs and reduced coverage area. It didn't have to be that way.

Without naming names or sources... and in a previous re-incarnation, employed by a State-wide newspaper... I was told about a 'Certain British Phone Company' that was 'invited' to set up one of the first DIGITAL networks,- being very experienced at such things.

They would be Delighted... providing a guaranteed 'shut-down' date of the Analogue was agreed upon...

Naturally, the interests and (Dependable) coverage needs of rural Australia took 3rd place...

I still fail to see why Analogue 'needed' to be shut down, at least beyond the metro areas...

**Eevo** · 26th January 2016, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by superquag

I still fail to see why Analogue 'needed' to be shut down, at least beyond the metro areas...

expensive to run.

**superquag** · 26th January 2016, 02:55 PM

More solar panels ?

**AndyG** · 26th January 2016, 05:54 PM

Spectrum is limited, more concurrent users with digital, and better data transfer, range is the big loser

**JDNSW** · 27th January 2016, 05:43 AM

Interesting article on the radio this morning - about the Gulargambone area (NW NSW) but I suspect repeated elsewhere (pun intended). Someone has bought on ebay a repeater to improve their mobile and internet - killing connectivity for almost everyone else on the same tower.

Took a customer months of talking to the Philippines before they managed to talk to someone in Australia. ACMA refused to talk to them, and it took Telstra about six months to find the illegal repeater, by which time another one was active, which has still not been found.

People doing this should be aware that it could get expensive - the fine for the illegal repeater is up to $300,000.

John

DiscoMick · 27th January 2016, 06:40 AM

Not a repeater, but Telstra sells a booster for $900 which picks up an outside signal and boosts it to be heard better inside the house. Of course, you have to have an outside signal for it to work.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

**Eevo** · 27th January 2016, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Interesting article on the radio this morning - about the Gulargambone area (NW NSW) but I suspect repeated elsewhere (pun intended). Someone has bought on ebay a repeater to improve their mobile and internet - killing connectivity for almost everyone else on the same tower.

Took a customer months of talking to the Philippines before they managed to talk to someone in Australia. ACMA refused to talk to them, and it took Telstra about six months to find the illegal repeater, by which time another one was active, which has still not been found.

People doing this should be aware that it could get expensive - the fine for the illegal repeater is up to $300,000.

John

i know where Gulargambone is!
my grandfather was born there.

interesting the ACMA refused to talk to them, although slow, they are usually pretty keen to help when it comes to illegal repeaters.

**Eevo** · 27th January 2016, 08:11 AM

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Not a repeater, but Telstra sells a booster for $900 which picks up an outside signal and boosts it to be heard better inside the house. Of course, you have to have an outside signal for it to work.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

other legit companies sell them too, not just telstra.

**squizzyhunter** · 27th January 2016, 09:19 AM

I'm tend to agree with the sample of responses as that's the beauty of going out there is to be away from internet ect. Learn to use HF ect. But I suppose this is a rather romantic notion and probably not the case if you live and work in the outback. So I suppose it's us that go there for recreation that don't mind, or even enjoy the lack of coverage. But if people that live and work out there would be better off with it then have at it.

**Eevo** · 27th January 2016, 09:25 AM

does HF still require a licence to use?

Thread: Awful Outback mobile and internet service

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