Telstra upgrading 4G coverage and bringing new 5G connectivity along Barellan Road

Media Release from Telstra, 2nd January 2024

Telstra will be upgrading its mobile base station on Barellan Road by adding additional infrastructure to bring better 4G services to the area. The work will also prepare the network for 5G coverage to be provided once the 3G network closes as planned in June 2024, but the works will require a series of temporary outages or reduction in mobile coverage.

The Telstra base station on Barellan Road provides mobile reception along the highway between Narrandera and Barellan, and the surrounding area towards Bald Hill.

These improvements will temporarily impact Telstra mobile coverage at various times from Monday the 15th January to Tuesday the 23rd January 2024.

The first outage will commence on Monday the 15th January at 7am to Friday the 19th January at 5pm. There will be no Telstra mobile network coverage during this period.

Temporary outages may be experienced between Saturday the 20th of January and Tuesday the 23rd of January as we test and integrate the mobile network.

If all goes according to plan and weather permitting the mobile upgrade will be completed on the 23rd of January 2024.

Telstra mobile customers will receive text messages advising of the upcoming work.

Landline services, NBN internet services and mobile coverage from other providers will not be impacted. Any calls to Triple Zero from a Telstra mobile when the site is off air will automatically be diverted to any working mobile network for connection to emergency services.

Telstra Regional General Manager Chris Taylor said while our crews need to work during daylight for safety, we’ll only be switching off the site when we need to and have it back on as quickly as possible.

“There’s never a good time to undertake this sort of work but once it is completed, it will mean better mobile services for local residents,” Mr Taylor said.

“As a company, we heavily invest in improving regional connectivity and this site is another example of our commitment. “Over the past seven years to the end of FY23, Telstra invested $11 billion in our mobile network nationally, with $4 billion of this invested in our regional mobile network.”

Tips for improving connectivity while works are underway

For mobile coverage in the interim, if residents have access to a wi-fi signal at home or at work, Telstra encourages residents to activate wi-fi calling. This is a free setting on most popular mobile phones and allows your mobile to use a Wi-Fi network to make and receive mobile calls. To find out more they can google Telstra wifi calling or just search in your settings icon on your phone.

We know many businesses use the Telstra network for their EFTPOS terminals. However, Telstra does not operate the EFTPOS network, it is operated by financial institutions. Many EFTPOS terminals can also be connected using fixed line or Wi-Fi/nbn internet connections. Retailers should contact their bank for more information and details on how to switch between these methods to ensure continuous service.

Long term benefits of the site upgrade

The roll out of 5G connectivity for the first time along Barellan Road means customers with Telstra 5G mobile devices will be able to enjoy a better mobile experience. The upgrade also brings added benefits for customers on the Telstra 4G network with more capacity, providing better network connectivity and less congestion in peak times.

“We’re continuing to expand our 5G network across location and nationally we’re adding new sites to the network every week. Upgrades such as these continue to demonstrate Telstra’s ongoing commitment to regional Australia,” Chris said.

Once completed, Barellan Road will join more than 4,900 Telstra 5G sites on-air within selected areas of more than four hundred cities and towns across Australia. 85 per cent of all Australians now having the ability to access to the Telstra 5G network where they live.

For customers wishing to access 5G on the Telstra network, they will need a 5G capable device so for some people, that may mean upgrading their current device.