WA hails better mobile coverage

in brief SingTel subsidiary Optus is halfway through a state government-backed project to install some 94 mobile base stations across Western Australia.

"The deployment of mobile facilities has been across metropolitan, rural and regional WA, with regional phone facilities also planned for Broome, the Burrup Peninsula, Derby, Newman and Tom Price," said Optus WA state manager Vince Troth in a statement. Optus currently claims coverage of more than 91 percent of the WA population.

State Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan said the deployment was an example of how government procurement dollars could be pooled for community benefit -- a model also being pursued in the AU$1 billion Statewide Broadband Network currently being planned by WA.

How's the mobile phone coverage in WA? Getting better or still stuck in the dark ages? Post your comments below this article.