When you move into a new build suburb, you expect to have access to decent connectivity. This hasn’t been the experience of residents of The Ponds here in North-West Sydney.
Households have been frustrated with poor mobile coverage since the suburb was built close to a decade ago. Residents
are not able to make phone calls from their homes, instead forced to connect from the street or even the next suburb along.
This is worsened in many cases as calls that do connect continuously drop out.
As your local Member, I have made it a priority to drive a practical solution to improve coverage for the good people of The Ponds. Our concerted community advocacy led to the construction of a new mobile tower.
Optus and Telstra have since switched on their signals – and data shows it is being used by more than 3,000 customers in the area.
We have also been working to bring Vodafone/TPG to the table, so their customers can also get the connectivity they deserve. Despite the new tower, I am still hearing that coverage issues remain.
It is my priority to campaign for my constituents and to follow-up on their concerns – this is a pressing one.My team and I went door-to-door in The Ponds recently to find out more.
The initial feedback shows that while mobile phone reception is improving for some, this experience is not shared. This is not good enough. To residents of The Ponds, I want to hear from you.
I’ve launched an online survey, asking for you to share your coverage experiences over the last few months since the tower was constructed.
Your experiences will help me better understand where coverage is at its worst, and fight for our community. The good people of The Ponds deserve access to reliable mobile coverage.
This is not a nice to have; it is a necessity. And one that I will continue to fight for – for you and your family.
To let me know about your phone reception, complete my survey @ https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HMGJJN7
Greenway Mobile Phone Connectivity Survey www.surveymonkey.com
Michelle Rowland MP is Federal Minister for Communications and Federal Member for Greenway. Visit www. michellerowland.com.au
