A MOTION to support a letter of request by Katharine Marsh from Kojonup in Western Australia, in her national campaign for further mobile phone black spot funding was passed by Inverell council at their May meeting on Wednesday.
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Cr Barry Johnston said he thought the motion was in keeping with council’s past position on the matter. “Over recent years, this council has made a number of submissions seeking a wider network of mobile phone towers,” he said.
“So it would be pretty well consistent with our policy, bearing in mind that we have some areas in this community that would also be seeking services.
“I’d be happy to move that we indicate support, based on the right to benefit for our community from a wider network of mobile phone towers being introduced.”
Cr Harold Castledine seconded the motion.
Cr David Jones said he was not opposed to the motion, but thought the council should add to it by suggesting the introduction of roaming to help stop multiple towers having to be built for separate providers.
“They have done it in Tasmania and technically, it is quite possible," Cr David Jones said.
"If I’m a Vodaphone customer and I’m roaming onto a Telstra network, Vodaphone would pay Telstra something every time I make a call that roamed onto the Telstra network."
He said roaming was easy to do, and it would be good for the community to have all the services roaming onto a single tower.
I’d be happy to move that we indicate support, based on the right to benefit for our community from a wider network of mobile phone towers being introduced.
- Cr Barry Johnston
“I can’t understand why the government doesn’t require roaming between networks,” he said.
“Telstra will resist because they’ve got the biggest network, and they’ll be seen as the people who suffer in giving a leg-up to the other telcos.
“But the fact of the matter is, technically it can be done. I also do point out that before Telstra was privatised, they had millions and millions of taxpayer’s money put in to pay for towers.”
Councillors Di Baker and Harold Castledine spoke in favour of Cr Jones’ suggestion.
Cr Phil Girle pointed out the difference between genuine black spots and carrier blackspots.
“I think the motion that Cr Johnston’s put up should be re-worded so that this council addresses genuine black spots. When it comes to the area of carrier black spots which is what David is talking about, where there’s already existing services.,” he said. Council also passed a motion that the state government be lobbied to introduce roaming.