The Victorian Government’s $18 million project to improve mobile phone coverage on five regional rail lines will finally begin its roll-out at the beginning of next year, following successful tests of the in-train mobile signal repeaters that will eventually be installed across the entire Vlocity fleet.
The Andrews Labor government has partnered with the three largest mobile carriers in Australia — Telstra, Optus and Vodafone — to build 35 new mobile towers in an effort to significantly improve mobile connectivity and coverage for commuters using the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and Seymour rail lines, which have long been plagued with mobile connectivity blackouts.
Alongside the construction of the towers, the first of which have now been built, the project will implement in-train technology to improve the signal received by devices inside the train from outside mobile towers.
While these mobile signal repeaters are already a feature of 30 European rail lines, Victoria’s will be the first to receive upgrades of this kind in Australia.
The recent pilot program to test the technology reportedly demonstrates its capacity to markedly improve mobile coverage from less than 50 per cent to almost full coverage.
“In today’s world, digital connectivity is crucial for people’s lifestyles and for doing business,” state innovation and digital economy minister Philip Dalidakis said.
“This program is making it fair for regional Victorian passengers by giving them faster, more reliable mobile coverage.”
The government hopes that the project, once completed, will provide a boost to productivity by allowing passengers to get more work done while travelling on trains, and estimates that a further $20 million could be delivered to the Victorian economy every year.
Beginning in 2018, more trains will be fitted with the mobile signal repeaters, with a rollout across the entire Vlocity fleet expected to be concluded by the end of the year.