467 regional phone towers in line for back-up power boost

Telstra,
Optus and TPG are getting $13.2 million in federal funding to improve back-up power
at 467 mobile phone towers across the country.

Money for
the upgrades – which will ensure a minimum of 12 hours of back-up power at
towers in the event that mains electricity is lost – is being provided under
Stage 1 of the $18 million Mobile Network Hardening Program announced earlier
this year.

The second
stage will include a grants program to support a range of “hardening” measures
at high-priority locations to prevent telecommunications outages during
disaster events.

Besides
improved back-up power, these measures include improved facility design and the
provision of backhaul transmission redundancy.

Commonwealth
funding would be available for the second stage for up to 50 percent of the
capital costs of the upgrades, with the rest provided by the grant recipient.

Click here for more information on the program.