Improving mobile coverage in Queensland

Mobile base stations

Under a joint State and Commonwealth Government arrangement, Queensland communities will receive a boost in mobile phone coverage with 26 new mobile phone base stations.

The Queensland Government is investing $2.5 million to co-fund base stations in partnership with the Commonwealth Government, Telstra and Optus under Round 4 of the national Mobile Black Spot Program. The state will be investing almost $26 million into the program since Round 1 in 2015.

The 26 new base stations bring the total number of base stations funded in Queensland under the program to 170 since Round 1.

We expect the roll-out of Round 4 of the program to start soon, with the first new base stations being activated by the second half of 2019.

Final base station locations are determined by the telecommunications provider.

4G small cells

In addition to the 170 mobile phone base stations, 78 Telstra 4G small cells (excluding Round 4 base stations) were also installed throughout the State.

These small cells provide new or improved coverage to many hundreds of premises.

View a map of the 4G small cell locations (JPG, 181KB)

How small cells improve services

A small cell is a miniature version of a standard mobile base station. It’s used to boost coverage and capacity in densely populated urban areas, or inside heavily-trafficked areas such as shopping centres or office blocks.

Small cells:

provide high-speed 4G data services over a coverage footprint of approximately 200-300m
support telephone calls and text using a technology called Voice over LTE (VoLTE). This means customers with a VoLTE capable 4G device can make voice calls (All new release handsets, and most released since the beginning of 2016, support VoLTE).

Small cell pools (announced May 2017)

Queensland received 50 4G small cells as part of the state’s co-funding arrangement with Telstra for Round 1 of the black spot program. The Commonwealth Government also allocated 28 additional small cells to be installed in Queensland. Small cell locations that have already been determined are in the following list.

Acland
Alva Beach
Armstrong Beach
Avondale
Babinda
Binna Burra Resort
Boreen Point
Bororen
Bowenville
Brandon
Bramston Beach
Brigalow
Brookstead
Burnett Heads
Buxton
Cannon Valley
Capella
Cawarral
Cherbourg
Clare
Comet
Conondale
Cungulla
Delta
Dingo
El Arish
Flagstone Creek
Forest Hill
Forrest Beach
Giru
Hampton
Hillview
Homestead
Injune
Inkermin
Innot Hot Springs
Jardine
Jimna
Kennedy
Kerry
Kogan
Kumbia
Lake Tinaroo
Moonford
Moranbah Airport
Morven
Mount Alford
Mourilyan Harbour
Mount Larcom
Mount Ossa
Mungallala
Muttaburra
Murray Upper
Nobby
Palmer River Roadhouse
Peachester
Peranga
Pentland
Reesville
Ridgelands
Ridgewood
River Ranch
Rosedale
Seisia
Severnlea
South Kolan
Southbrook
Surat
Tanby
Tarzali
Thargomindah
Wallumbilla
Weengallon
Woodstock
Woorabinda
Wooroolin
Wowan
Yakapari

More information

Mobile Black Spot Program
Optus's schedule for rolling out the new sites
Telstra's schedule for rolling out the new sites
Vodafone's schedule for rolling out the new sites
Email: MBSP@hpw.qld.gov.au

Last updated:: 29 November 2019