Telstra has switched on its 400th base station under the federal government’s programme to overcome mobile black spots around the country and to enhance mobile communications in regional and remote areas. Newly installed base stations have already facilitated 60 million calls.

The South Australian Government has allocated $555,015 to Optus to build and operate four new mobile phone base stations in the State after $2 million it committed towards the federal government’s mobile black spots programme was not fully utilised.

Telstra is ramping up the deployment of 4G Internet and voice services on small cell technology across regional Australia as part of the second phase of the government’s national mobile blackspot programme.