Telstra is promising to address community concerns about service reliability in places like Cooktown and Lakeland with a number of upgrades planned over coming months. Photo: Supplied.
Frustrated Cape York Telstra customers are expected to be provided with a reprieve over the coming months as the telecommunications giant begins a $16 million upgrade program.
Community concerns about service coverage and reliability, especially around Cooktown and Lakeland, have been growing since 3G was switched off, with several Telstra customers telling Cape York Weekly they believed their complaints were falling on deaf ears.
“I’ve used Starlink to ring them multiple times to say Telstra service had dropped out, but they don’t seem to give a stuff,” said one Cooktown resident, who asked not to be named.
“How bad does it need to be until the problem’s fixed? Does someone have to die because they couldn’t ring out for help on their phone?”
On 1 July, Telstra announced the $16m local investment program, which will include Coen and Aurukun, as well as “other opportunities in the region to further expand … coverage”.
Despite the announcement, Cape York Weekly understands Telstra has quietly scrapped plans to build a 4G small cell at Musgrave Roadhouse amid funding concerns.
Regional general manager for North Queensland Rachel Cliffe said a new base station was already being constructed in Cooktown to improve coverage.
“Construction is under way for a new 4G and 5G mobile base station in Cooktown, and we expect to switch it on in the coming weeks,” she said.
“Once online, it’ll help improve the coverage and capacity in town, especially in and around the west.
“Telstra’s 4G coverage is also available in and around Lakeland, but it can get congested at times and performance fluctuates due to heavy data use in the area.”
Ms Cliffe added Telstra had met with Cook Shire Council last week to discuss delivering 5G to Lakeland for the first time.
“We visited Lakeland and met with Council last week,” she said.
“We have plans in the pipeline to upgrade the mobile site to deliver 5G to the area for first time, which should increase capacity and improve customers’ speeds and experience; we hope to have the upgrade complete and delivering better performance in the next few months.”
