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Mobile Blackspot Program
Telstra is rolling out more than 780 new mobile sites across rural and regional Australia under the Mobile Black Spot Program, representing a Telstra investment of $ 280 million, more than double the commitment of all the other carriers combined.
Telstra Blue Tick
Telstra Blue Tick phones provide superior mobile coverage. We recommended them for customers who live and work in rural areas.
A range of external antennas are available that can provide improved coverage for certain mobile devices in areas where coverage is marginal. Even when you’re in an area where handheld coverage is possible, an external antenna solution may also improve the performance of your handset or broadband device.
Yagi or external antennas are most effective when mounted in the 'line of sight' of a mobile phone base station, or where the best signal is received. Depending on location and type of antenna used, this can be near a window, building rooftop, pole or other elevated structure. As with all antennas, the general rule when mounting is the higher the better. After the antenna has been fitted, it is connected directly to a mobile device, such as a broadband modem.
External antennas can also be used for vehicles when travelling or doing business in rural and remote areas, or along stretches of highways where coverage can be marginal. Vehicle external antennas are commonly attached to the handset via a car-kit or a patch-lead where a car-kit is not available.
See your local Telstra store for assistance with picking the best antenna option for you as well as help with installation.
Telstra will be switching off 3G in 2024. After switch off these devices will continue to operate but only with 4G (700 MHZ, 1800 MHz) Find out more
Please note: Depending on device capability and available coverage, external antennas can improve 3G and 4G coverage on the Telstra Mobile Network. Not all external antennas allow direct connection to the handset or broadband device. Antenna accessories are only available for selected handset and broadband models. Please refer to the device manufacturer for specifications or visit a Telstra shop for assistance.
The Yagi antenna can be available for $290.00 (GST exclusive), or together with professional installation to most locations, $610.00 (ex GST). There may be additional charges if you live in remote locations, or the installation work required for your roof is non-standard.
Telstra's network can typically extend 20 to 70 km out to sea from mobile base stations located near the coast. However, there are many factors such as the weather, tides, sea conditions and your antenna installation (type and height above sea level) that can significantly influence coverage, data speed and performance. As a result, you must not rely on the Telstra Mobile Network as a primary method of communication at sea.
To assist with your mobile services at sea, you should use a directly connected external antenna – one that is omni-directional or a specialist marine antenna capable of 'tracking' to the best serving base station. The antenna should be mounted as high as possible on your vessel using marine-grade cabling and connections.
In order for a service at sea to work effectively, line of sight to the terrestrial base station is required. This is influenced by the height of the serving base station, land based obstructions and the general topography of the land, which can block signals. Coverage will not be reliable over the horizon from a mobile base station even though it may be usable at times.
We've created a short video to help you maximise your coverage while you're at sea:
Maximise your coverage while you're at sea
PlayA small cell is a miniature version of a standard base station which was traditionally used to boost coverage and capacity in densely populated urban areas.
In 2014, Telstra reworked the technology to launch small cells for 4G in small regional and rural communities where a full sized base station would not be feasible.
LTE small cells do not support 3G services, so customers need to use a handset with 4G voice calling (HD Calling) to be able to make a voice call when connected through an LTE small cell.
The underlying technology that enables 4G voice calling on these cells can be further extended by customers using Voice over WiFi that supports seamless voice handover between outdoor 4G l coverage and an indoor WiFi connection where 4G coverage may not reach.
The Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna®4G is now available. This exciting new device is designed to extend indoor coverage for Telstra 3G and 4G/4GX mobile or mobile broadband services in Telstra Mobile network coverage areas. All you need is one spot within your home or office where you can make calls and connect your Smart Antenna 4G device.
Telstra will be switching off 3G in 2024. After switch off these devices will continue to operate but only with 4G (700 MHZ, 1800 MHz) Find out more
Increased coverage can help you to:
• Make voice calls and access mobile broadband in more areas of your home or office
• Enjoy more reliable voice calling
• Experience more consistent mobile broadband data speeds (3G 850 MHz and 4G 700 & 1800 MHz)
This device is suitable for indoor use, for a family residence or small office.
Please note that the performance of 4G devices in 4GX areas will not be improved by using a Smart Antenna 4G device unless a compatible 4GX device is used.
Benefits include:
- Easy installation: simply plug in the Network and Coverage unit into a standard 240V power supply.
- The LCD screen shows you how the Smart Antenna 4G device is working, helping you get the best possible coverage.
- Seamless coverage as you move between your extended 4G and nearby 3G/4G/4GX network coverage areas.
- Unlike similar devices, the Smart Antenna 4G device doesn’t need a fixed broadband connection.
- The Smart Antenna 4G device can help improve your battery life by reducing the need to search for coverage.
- Some smartphones and mobile broadband devices are 4GX-ready. Your compatible device will automatically use 4GX when using the Smart Antenna 4G whenever it’s available.
To use the Smart Antenna 4G device, all you need to do is:
- Be in a Telstra Mobile Network coverage area and pass our qualification checks
- Have a Telstra Mobile Network compatible mobile or mobile broadband device
- Have an active Telstra mobile or mobile broadband service
Please chat to us to find out if the Telstra Mobile Smart Antenna is the right solution for you (see ‘Contact us’).
If it is, they are available for purchase from $1080 (GST exclusive). If you would like to spread that cost out over 24 months, just speak to us about our payment plan.
If the antenna does not fix your indoor reception issue, just call us within 14 days of purchase on the number we will provide you, and we will refund you for your undamaged device.
Telstra’s new 4G satellite small cell technology 4GX-lite provides affordable access to 4G services on the Telstra mobile network for people living, travelling, and working in remote areas of Australia.
Ideal for:
- small communities in rural and remote Australia
- remote tourism hotspots
- roadhouses
- centres of agri-business
This new technology gives customers access to email, text, voice calls, browsing, basic data and voice calls on compatible devices in areas where coverage was previously challenging.
Want to know more?
Contact your Telstra Account Manager or Regional General Manager
Network Coverage Extension Devices
Want better reception? An external antenna can give you clearer voice calls and faster data performance in rural areas.
5G builds on the foundation of 4G with innovative new technologies, base station upgrades, and greater access to spectrum bandwidth. This means you can download movies, music, audiobooks and apps faster than ever before on Telstra 5G.
5G is now rolling out in selected areas. To access 5G, you’ll need a 5G-enabled device with an eligible plan in a 5G coverage area.
Talk to us
We're constantly working to maintain the best mobile coverage Australia wide, but we need your help to identify network black spots.
If our network isn't performing to expectations let us know.
Before you report the problem, let's try a few basic troubleshooting checks first.
Things you need to know
The combination of the Telstra Mobile Network being optimised for land based coverage and the complex factors affecting mobile coverage out to sea means we can't action or accept black spot coverage reports in relation to locations beyond the coastal shoreline.