TELSTRA FLICKS THE SWITCH ON 4G FOR LAKES ENTRANCE
December 18, 2013
Lakes Entrance residents, the business community and tourism industry has been boosted by the switch-on of Telstra’s 4G network.
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester today joined Telstra Country Wide Area General Manager for Gippsland, Loretta Willaton, in Lakes Entrance to launch the service.
Mr Chester, a Lakes Entrance resident, has been pushing the case for improved mobile phone service in the town to cater for the influx of visitors during summer and school holiday breaks.
“Last year during the summer holidays I spoke to a number of local residents, small business owners and visitors to Lakes Entrance who were frustrated by a slowing of mobile services due to the heavy influx of people to the town,” Mr Chester said.
“I raised the issue with Telstra management and they have developed this solution.
“Any upgrade in services is also a boost in keeping our community connected during emergencies, particularly natural disaster events such as flooding.”
The new 4G LTE service will allow typical downloads speeds of between two and 50 megabits per second, dependent on factors such as distance from the base station, local conditions, and the user’s device. The new service will provide customers with quicker access to online content.
Ms Willaton said the new service means Lakes Entrance now has mobile broadband speeds as fast as residents in capital cities.
“Our 4G network coverage provides a reach that is now four times that of any competitor,” Ms Willaton said.
“The additional speeds and network capacity Telstra 4G offers will support residents and local businesses in this area.
“Telstra 4G offers an exciting new era of communication and our customers can use their phones in new ways, offering a world of convenience and opening up access to smart new technologies to help keep them entertained at home and productive when on the road for work.
Destination Gippsland Chief Executive Officer, Terry Robinson, said the new network was great news for the tourism industry.
“The new 4G service will allow our tourism businesses to be more efficient with their bookings and transactions,” Mr Robinson said.
“It will also mean visitors to East Gippsland over the busy summer period will enjoy fast and reliable coverage for their smart phones.
“This will make their holiday experience more enjoyable and encourage them to come back again and again.”