Telstra will be upgrading its mobile base station that services Murchison to bring new 5G coverage to the area between November 17 and 24.
The site will need to be switched off during the those periods, and residents are being advised that mobile services in the area will be temporarily affected while the upgrade works take place.
Telstra 5G delivers increased capacity, which means more consistent speeds, smoother streaming and typically faster download times.
Delivering 5G to the area will also help boost the area’s existing 4G performance.
Telstra regional general manager for Eastern Victoria Jenny Gray said the company knew know how important mobile connectivity was for Australians.
“Bringing 5G to the area is a major mobile milestone,” Mrs Gray said.
“It will deliver higher speeds and capacity to the region, meaning faster downloads, smoother streaming and less congestion.”
Telstra mobile customers will receive texts advising of the upcoming work.
Landline services, NBN internet services and mobile coverage from other providers will not be impacted.
The site will need to be switched off from Sunday, November 17, to Thursday, November 21. There will be no mobile coverage between these dates.
During daytime hours from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, November 24, residents can expect interruptions as call testing and integration of the mobile network is completed.
Telstra customers can continue to make calls and send texts during disruption to mobile services by switching on ‘Wi-Fi Calling’.
This is a free setting on most popular mobile phones and allows your mobile to make and receive mobile calls while connected to wi-fi.
Business owners are encouraged talk to their bank about connecting their EFTPOS terminals to their NBN or wi-fi connection to prevent delays in processing transactions.
“Some disruption is required while the upgrade is under way, but we’ll only be switching off the site when we need to and will have it back online and working better than ever as quickly as possible,” Mrs Gray said.