Telstra will upgrade its mobile base station in Hay over coming weeks to deliver improved 4G and 5G network coverage, with temporary service disruptions expected between January 29 and February 4.
The telecommunications company has advised that mobile services in the area will be temporarily affected while upgrade works are underway, though landline services, NBN and satellite internet services will not be impacted. Mobile coverage from other providers will also remain unaffected.
Telstra mobile customers will receive text messages advising of the upcoming work. The company has outlined specific outage periods when the site will need to be switched off for the upgrades to proceed.
From 7am to 5pm on Thursday January 29 to Sunday February 1, intermittent outages will occur with one sector offline and two remaining active. A full site outage is scheduled from 7am to 7pm on Monday February 2 to Tuesday February 3, followed by another full site outage from 7am to 5pm on Wednesday February 4.
The upgrades promise improved mobile network performance once completed, though the temporary disruptions will require some planning, particularly for businesses relying on mobile connectivity for transactions.
Telstra has assured customers that emergency services remain accessible during the outages. Any calls to Triple Zero from a Telstra mobile when the site is offline will automatically connect to another mobile network if available for connection to emergency services.
The company has provided several tips for maintaining connectivity during the upgrade period. Customers can continue to make calls and send texts during disruption by enabling Wi-Fi calling on their mobile phones. This free setting, available on most popular mobile phones, allows the device to make and receive mobile calls while connected to Wi-Fi networks.
Business owners have been encouraged to talk to their banks about connecting EFTPOS terminals to their NBN or Wi-Fi connection to prevent delays in processing transactions during the mobile network disruptions. This workaround could prove particularly important during the full site outage periods when mobile connectivity will be completely unavailable.
Telstra says the upgrade forms part of the ongoing regional network improvement program, bringing enhanced mobile technology to rural communities.
“The transition to improved 4G and 5G services aims to provide faster data speeds, better call quality and increased network capacity for Hay and surrounding areas,” a spokesperson said.
Customers can keep up to date on the outage via the Telstra website at telstra.com.au/outages, which provides real time information about planned and unplanned network disruptions across the country.
