The McGowan Government has secured funding for 141 mobile network upgrades across the State to help improve resilience and keep mobile towers operating during natural disasters.
The State last year committed co-funding of $988,000 to support applications of Round 2 of the Commonwealth's Mobile Network Hardening Program.
Of the 544 mobile tower upgrades awarded nationally, 141 (or 26 per cent) are in Western Australia - 79 with Optus, 61 with Telstra and one to TPG.
Solutions include battery and power system upgrades, permanent generators, 20 portable generators for positioning at regional towns and supplementary battery modules at strategic hubs.
These can maintain transmission links to base stations downstream for up to 20 hours, even during power outages at the hub base station.
In Round 1 of the program, WA was able to secure 108 of the 467 sites funded nationally, or 23 per cent of total sites.
The program delivered additional batteries, with at least 12 hours of back-up power for mobile base stations established under Rounds 1 and 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Program.
The rollout of the additional batteries was completed in June 2021.
As stated by Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan:
"Tropical Cyclone Seroja and bushfires over the summer period have reinforced the need to improve resilience in our telecommunications network.
"While telecommunications is a Federal responsibility, our Government's funding contribution has ensured WA gets its fair share of this important program.
"We are committed to working with our regional communities to deliver innovative telecommunications solutions that can help save lives during an emergency."
