Vodafone says an ACCC ruling has allowed it to improve coverage in the Riverina. Photo: Facebook.
Telecommunications retailer Vodafone says its mobile phone service in the Riverina will improve substantially, after announcing it will expand its coverage in the region.
Vodafone says the Wagga Wagga region will triple its number of mobile sites, going from 15 to 48, while the Griffith region will quadruple its mobile sites from 9 to 37.
In September, regulator the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) agreed to allow Vodafone parent company TPG Telecom and Optus to share some networks across regional Australia.
“The agreements will allow TPG to provide better coverage in regional areas, which will likely enhance its ability to compete during the term of the agreements, improving choice for regional consumers,” ACCC commissioner Phillip Williams said.
Vodafone will access 2444 Optus mobile sites in regional Australia to expand its network reach. The two telcos will also share their wireless spectrum – the invisible airwaves that make mobile services possible – saying this will deliver improved service quality and speeds for customers.
“This will be a game-changer for regional Australia, giving millions of customers living, working and travelling right across the country, access to the award-winning value, and service Vodafone customers in the city enjoy,” Vodafone Head of Brand Strategy Lisa Cronin said.
The Riverina has long been plagued by poor mobile coverage, with families on some farms unable to make phone calls from their own home.
A 2021 submission to a government inquiry by Helen Dalton MP identified a number of mobile black spots in Griffith, including Bringagee Road, Boorga Road (Mallinson Road to Dickson Road), the Benerembah area, MR80 West (Hillston West), the Lakes Road area and parts of Rankin Springs Road.
Rankin Springs farmer Carolyn Groat says he’s been pleading with telecommunications operators and government to improve coverage for years, to no avail.
“Where our son lives there is no mobile coverage at all,” she said.
“Where we live we get the odd bar or two; there’s lots of places where we don’t have it. My son has had to spend a lot on satellite coverage, but even then it keeps dropping out.”
Vodafone says it plans to double the mobile operator’s geographical coverage across Australia to more than one million square kilometres and increase its population coverage to 98.4 per cent.
Once live in early 2025, customers will have immediate access to 5G where available, and across the country 4G coverage will increase to one million square kilometres.
Kieren Cooney, Vodafone Group Executive, Consumer said this was a turning point for the Australian mobile phone market.
“We’re breaking the mobile duopoly that has limited customer choice in regional Australia for too long. We’ve listened to our customers and are excited to say Vodafone’s coming to town.
“This will be a game-changer for the millions of Australians in our cities and regions who want great value and mobile coverage in their home and when travelling to all the places we love to visit.”
The new expanded Vodafone regional network will go live in early 2025.
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