[LINK] Govt unveils First Nations Digital Inclusion Plan

[David]

On 26/07/2023 19:29, Noel Butler wrote:
> I'm 50min north of the Brisbane GPO, this region has thousands of new homes built in new estates over past 10 years, and no carrier has done a damn thing about improving coverage, I'm sitting here now with no signal, if I go outside away from the house, I "might" get enough of a one bar signal to make an emergency call.

I believe Telstra will supply a signal booster, presumably free of charge, but they'll need to check the site first;  see for example https://www.telstra.com.au/support/mobiles-devices/4g-smart-antenna-install and it would probably be worth checking with other carriers too.  However this might result in quite high levels of RF inside the house.

Alternatively, if the signal improves merely by walking away from the house it might be better to install a high-gain mobile antenna on the roof and a little googling will yield lots of information and potential suppliers.  (Whirlpool is usually a great source of hints, tips & local experience for all sorts of problems.)  You could also try your local _reputable_ TV antenna supplier; see for example https://installmyantenna.com.au/blog/6-hacks-on-how-to-boost-antenna-signal/

Do you notice day/night variations in signal strength, and are you located somewhere likely to be in signal shadow?  If mobile coverage is patchy over the whole area, improving coverage in your house may only be a partial solution.  Don't forget that signal amplifiers will amplify the noise too - you need to improve the S/N ratio.

Finally, ACMA has some useful information at https://www.acma.gov.au/cellular-mobile-repeaters which includes a few warnings re the legalities.  And don't forget community action; a letter to your local Federal MP can work wonders, especially in a Queensland marginally Labor seat (:-)!

_David Lochrin_