18 June 2018
Telstra will offer co-funding of 500 4GX-lite mobile small cells over the next three years to extend coverage to remote and regional communities and tourist attractions.
Designed for locations where 4G mobile "not financially viable"
The new product was launched on 12 June and is "designed to bridge the gap between what customers want and what is financially viable," said Telstra's Mike Wright, Group Managing Director Networks.
“We want all Australians to have the opportunity to connect to our mobile network so they can embrace the benefits mobile coverage brings. We know this is a particular frustration for many businesses and communities in regional areas who want to use the innovative technology on offer to grow their businesses or connect their people."
The Satellite Small Cell is aimed at customers like rural farmers, mining companies and local councils who want to bring mobile coverage to new areas. 4GX-lite can support voice, email, messaging, social media posts, browsing and basic data, although due to constraints with the satellite backhaul it is not intended to support data heavy applications, like high definition video streaming or video calling and conferencing.
“We offer options, such as Yagi antennas and the Telstra Go Repeater, for customers in regional areas looking to extend coverage, but until now there hasn’t been many options for people looking for coverage where none exists nearby. The Satellite Smart Cell helps solve that problem.
“For example, a local council may want to bring mobile coverage to a particular remote tourist attraction to help boost visitor numbers through social media posts, whilst an agricultural business may want to enhance worker safety by giving people the ability to connect with each other if issues arise. The Satellite Small Cell reduces the cost of gaining access to new coverage from hundreds of thousands of dollars for a new base station to tens of thousands, making it a realistic proposition in these circumstances.
“We’ve been running satellite cells for many years and have conducted successful trials of this innovative solution over the last 12 months at five sites. We’ll have a total of 16 Telstra trial sites on air by July.”
First customer is Winton Shire Council Queensland
Winton Shire Council Mayor, Cr Gavin Baskett, said the solution has allowed the community to identify where they need mobile coverage and then to work with Telstra to deliver it.
“It’s given us more control. We’ll be using the Satellite Small Cell to bring coverage to some parts of the Winton shire for the first time and to help grow tourism in the area. We’re a remote area, driven by rural industry and tourism – all industries where mobile coverage can provide so much in terms of innovation, connectivity and safety. We look forward to getting our two Satellite Small Cells installed and operational so we can connect our people.”
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