Vodafone Australia says that its Mobile Phones on Highways project is drawing to a close, bringing vastly improved GSM mobile phone coverage along 16 of Australia 's major highways, allowing travellers and residents in rural and regional Australia to talk in more places.
"We're thrilled to now be providing better mobile service for millions of residents, travellers and workers in regional and rural Australia ," said Vodafone Australia Managing Director, Grahame Maher. "Seven in ten Australians now own a mobile and they want to use them when and where they want, which is why we jumped at the chance to be involved in this great project."
The Mobile Phones on Highways project was a Commonwealth Government US$15 million initiative, which involved more than 160 new sites as well as modifications to over 160 additional sites, along almost 10,000 km stretch of the nation's major highways.
The announcement was made in Albury, NSW, by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator The Hon. Richard Alston.
"More than one million vehicles that use these highways each day will enjoy being able to talk in more places with Vodafone reducing the number of mobile phone 'black spots' where calls drop out due to poor coverage.
Vodafone customers are not the only ones who will benefit from improved GSM coverage. As part of the company's tender, Vodafone offers inter-carrier roaming ensuring that Optus and Telstra customers will also be able to make use of the rural infrastructure.
The project was launched in April 2001 when Vodafone was appointed the preferred tenderer to extend the existing GSM network along major rural and regional highways."
Posted to the site on 25th March 2003
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/8557.php