Summary of Telstra’s information relating to their proposed mobile blackspot solution

 

While Telstra exhibited the proposed mobile base station (which they called “macro cell tower”) at the old water tank site at the northern end of Kiparra Park (which they called “location 1”) on top of the island, they added an alternate site directly west of the bowling green (“location 2”) as well as one next to the Bowling Club (“location 3”) over the community garden.

 

Telstra have asked for feedback via the paper form they were handing out at the hall.  A scanned copy is available on this page. Note that the League has negotiated an extension of the submission date to 31 October (rather than 24 October indicated on the form itself).

 

Telstra presented the following for the macro cell tower locations:

•   a concrete monopole supporting an omnidirectional antenna array

•   25 metres high (at locations 2 and 3) to 30 metres high (at location 1)

•   connection to the Telstra network via fibre optic cable (the fibre access point is beside the path to the beach where the NBN node is located)

•   battery backup approx. 6-12 hours (the Brooklyn exchange has a generator)

•   a utility shed (approx. 3x3 metres) near the antenna pole

•   not necessarily fenced unless the community wants it to be

•   the tower can support one additional service provider (so either Optus or Vodafone) but none have applied to co-locate, so likely Telstra only

•   retailers using Telstra’s network (including Aldi and Woolworths phones) would be supported

•   Telstra advised that improved reception for each location (with minor differences displayed on ‘improved coverage’ maps for each one) will resolve the blackspot issues

•   location 1 in Kiparra Park has significant environmental impact with removal of 9 trees (including the large Blackbutt) to clear a 10x10 metre compound and additional 10 metre wide asset protection zone, plus construction of a permanent sealed access road from Riverview Ave. to the site, 4 metres wide (total clearing approx 1200 m2)

•   location 1 would be significantly more expensive (for Telstra and the Commonwealth)

•   location 3 could be moved to the least disruptive location (perhaps east of the bowling club) within the council land

 

Following many questions on the subject, Telstra agreed to review a small scale solution, which they envisaged as:

•   smaller poles (and/or attached to existing power poles)

•   4-6 small cells (in discussion this ranged widely from 2-12)

•   network connection via Telstra’s fibre optic cable (but perhaps also via satellite)

•   Telstra suggested smaller battery capacity approx. 3 hours

•   Telstra’s mini/micro cell configuration doesn’t include support for additional network providers, and may not for third parties using Telstra’s network (to be confirmed)

•   cheaper (for Telstra and the Commonwealth) than the large tower options

 

Before completing a small scale assessment, Telstra were unable to advise a number of issues including coverage and data bandwidth, 4G or 5G etc (it also wasn’t clear whether some of the other negatives mentioned were absolute, or simply that we weren’t hearing from Telstra’s small-scale experts). The Commonwealth blackspot funding would require variation to the existing arrangement—Telstra will look into this. Telstra anticipated submitting a DA (development application) before the end of the year, with the public comment period in January (but this may be ambitious with more work needed on the options).

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This information was included in the email sent from the League 23.10.2020