Telstra is upgrading its mobile base station serving the Grenfell Northwest rural area to expand 4G capacity and introduce 5G coverage, with work scheduled to begin on 20 August and continue for 11 days.
The upgrade is intended to improve network capacity, reduce congestion and deliver faster downloads and smoother streaming for customers in the area.
Telstra said the site will need to be switched off for periods of up to 10 hours during the works to allow engineers to complete the upgrade safely.
4G capacity and 5G coverage both being expanded
The project will add extra 4G capacity to the existing mobile site while also bringing 5G coverage to the area.
Telstra said the additional capacity should improve performance as mobile data usage continues to rise.
A company spokesperson said the upgrade would help support faster downloads, smoother streaming and lower congestion, while the addition of 5G would provide further capacity and speed improvements.
Planned outages will affect mobile services temporarily
During the 11-day upgrade period, the site will be taken offline at times for up to 10 hours.
Telstra said customers will receive SMS notifications about the planned work and can check outage updates through its website.
The company also noted that timings and impacts could change due to factors outside its control.
The works will not affect NBN services, satellite internet, PSTN landlines or mobile services from other providers.
Emergency calls can attempt connection through other networks
If the Telstra mobile network is unavailable, compatible phones may attempt to connect to Triple Zero through another available mobile network using emergency roaming.
Telstra advised users to retry if an initial emergency call does not connect quickly and to remain on the line longer on subsequent attempts to give the device time to find another network.
The company also warned that some medical and personal safety devices could be affected if they depend on the Telstra mobile network.
Users of those devices were advised to check with their service provider or manufacturer about alternative connectivity options such as Wi-Fi.
Businesses advised to prepare backup payment connectivity
Telstra also flagged potential disruption for businesses using EFTPOS terminals that rely on the mobile network.
Businesses were advised to check whether their terminals can operate over NBN or Wi-Fi during the upgrade period.
The operator also reminded customers that Wi-Fi Calling can allow calls and texts to continue where a Wi-Fi connection is available.
Source: MEA Tech Watch Press Reporter
