The official launch of the Towamba mobile black spot tower will take place on Thursday with Bega Valley Shire councillor Sharon Tapscott saying it will help ease the sense of isolation and open up opportunities.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Towamba’s new tower has already been switched on and in recent weeks has undergone testing and fine- tuning ahead of Thursday’s launch in the community, to which Cr Tapscott will attend.
“Severe weather and fire have left their mark on the Towamba community and that threat is always there,” Cr Tapscott said on Monday.
“The launch of this new mobile base station will help ease that sense of isolation I know many in the community have felt during those tough times.
“Towamba is a resilient community, one that has always looks out for each other and finds a way around challenges,” she said. “This new technology doesn’t replace that, but hopefully it will strengthen the systems and tools already in place.”
“This stunning environment is no doubt a big reason why people live here, but the hills and valleys that surround Towamba have made it hard for the community to access technology others take for granted.
“This launch adds a layer of technology over that environment that will open new connections to family and friends and new opportunities for business.
“This investment by the federal and state governments and Telstra addresses an inequity the community of the Towamba Valley have felt for too long.
“Access to information and communication is an expectation that goes with modern life, so much of our lives these days revolves around this sort of technology and I am delighted that Towamba will no longer be a black spot,” she said.
Telstra area general manager Chris Taylor said Towamba residents, businesses and visitors all stood to benefit from the improved mobile coverage.
“This is a significant moment for the community of Towamba, who join more than 200 locations across Australia now benefitting from state of the art mobile technology through Telstra’s delivery of the federal government’s Mobile Black Spot Program,” Mr Taylor said.
Telstra’s rollout of the Mobile Black Spot Program involves a co-investment of more than $486 million, including $228 million from Telstra, $134 million from the federal government, as well as funding from state and local governments.
