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More towers to address GS ‘black spots’

Toby HusseyAlbany Advertiser

How often do you deal with poor mobile reception? Chances are not as much as you used to in the Great Southern.

Since 2013, 78 mobile towers across the O’Connor electorate have been built to boost phone reception.

That has been in areas including Elleker, Albany, Bayonet Head and Cheynes — and a Salmon Holes tower was announced last month.

Ahead of this weekend’s election, O’Connor MP Rick Wilson said erasing mobile reception “black spots” had been a key goal of his since he was elected in 2013.

While the Australian Labor Party has pledged to match the Coalition’s funding for the next round of towers — $160 million — Mr Wilson said his track record showed he was the best person to represent O’Connor.

“Mobile coverage is important for first responders in the case of an emergency, reducing the response time which can determine the outcome of an emergency incident,” he said.

“It’s also important for our tourists who want to be able to operate their mobile phone(s) wherever they are ... (and) it’s important for residents in their day-to-day operations at home and at work.”

The Commonwealth has spent more than $380 million on stations across Australia since 2013, delivering more than 1000 towers.

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