$39.2 million to focus on regional telecoms, Duncan

Author: Wendy Duncan
Published on: 31-January-2012

The Hon Wendy Duncan MLC, Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region has today welcomed the announcement that $39.2million in Royalties for Regions funding will be utilised to implement the Regional Mobile Communications Project (RMCP).

The announcement made jointly by Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls and Science and Innovation Minister John Day, would provide Western Australia’s regional, rural and remote communities and businesses with access to a self-sustainable and affordable mobile voice and wireless broadband service.

Under the RMCP Project, Telstra will invest around $106million to deploy new mobile communications infrastructure at 113 sites along major roads and highways across the State and in several regional communities. Telstra expects to roll-out between 30 to 40 sites each year, taking approximately 3 years for the roll-out to be complete.

Ms Duncan said that The Liberal/National Government is responding to telecommunications deficiencies identified during various community consultations and also in the State Telecommunications Needs Assessment Surveys of 2008 and 2010.

These measures indicated a low level of mobile telephone and wireless broadband coverage was available in many parts of regional Western Australia. Of particular concern was the lack of near continuous highway and town-to-town coverage throughout regional Western Australia.

"The Regional Mobile Communications Project will see areas including the Pilbara, Mid-West, Kimberley, Wheatbelt and Ngaanyatjarra Lands receive a high priority, with The Goldfields and Esperance region having priority over The Peel, Great Southern and South West regions," said Ms Duncan.

"Not only will the contribution of $39.2 million in Royalties for Regions funding towards the Project enhance convenience for people living, working and holidaying in regional WA, but it will also enhance the emergency radio and mobile telecommunications coverage through a Right of Use provisions agreed with Telstra which will allow Emergency Service Organisations to collocate their own radio communications infrastructure at each site," said Ms Duncan.

This is a significant announcement, and one that continues to uphold the Nationals vision of making our regions a better place to live, work and visit."

More information about the RMCP Project can be sourced at www.commerce.wa.gov.au/digitaleconomyRMCP