SYDNEY, Australia-The Australian Minister for Communications, Information Technology announced that more than $2.8 million had been allocated through the $233 million Networking the Nation (NTN) program for 25 terrestrial mobile telephony projects in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.
The projects have the potential to take CDMA coverage to an additional 80,000 square kilometers, increasing CDMA coverage by an additional 8 percent. The total network is expected to cover 1 million square kilometers, covering more than 14 percent of the Australian land mass and twice the area covered by the old analog network.
“The 25 projects will further enhance mobile communications coverage in many parts of rural, regional and remote Australia,” said Senator Richard Alston.
Funding is from the sale of shares of Telstra, the partially state-owned telecom company. The NTN board has allocated a total $10.4 million for mobile telephone coverage in rural, regional and remote Australia.
The initiative is complemented by the country’s $13.8 million project to provide continuous mobile-phone coverage along major designated highways. Tender evaluations for this project are currently under way.
