Before the Residents meeting on Saturday 11 April (minutes attached), local MP Bob Baldwin had done his homework and came well prepared with suggestions to improve our TV, radio and mobile phone reception. Apparently Cove residents failed to respond to earlier public invitations to raise issues concerning mobile blackspots and television reception. The message from Bob was clear - if we have problems with coverage we all need to see the relevant providers get that message loud and clear. The attached minutes give Bob's suggestions in some detail.
How to complain?
For mobile phones, you can check out on-line what coverage each carrier expects at your address. If your own experience falls short of that estimate, then you should let them know.
Testra claims voice coverage of the whole Cove.
You can access their coverage map for data at:
https://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/our-coverage
At the bottom of that web page is a link to report a coverage problem.
The coverage page for Optus is:
http://www.optus.com.au/network/mobile/coverage
This site tells expected coverage for
indoors and outdoors.
And for Vodafone:
http://www.vodafone.com.au/aboutvodafone/network/checker
It's interesting that the
It's interesting that the bureaucrats in Canberra are willing to pass on helpful suggestions through a third party, but that there's no offer to do something really useful by coming up here to help us. "Just complain more!" is the sole dismissive response from our MP.
The fact remains that we are in a high fire hazard area. Without reliable communications, people might die. The privately owned commercial service providers depend on revenue and there is no revenue for them in saving lives. (Well - not much!)
Similarly there are few votes to be gained in sorting out phone problems for a bunch of 'oldies' in NAC.
I suggest we take our issues up directly with ACMA and lobby for on-site technical assistance in the nature of an ACMA expert. A sort of ACMA Ian Cook.
We then coordinate an exercise under his/her guidance to explore options actionable by us residents for improving each mode of reception so we can claim we have done our bit.
Then he/she can return to make an authoritative report on the remaining weaknesses, enabling us to demand action from our pollies.
Given our situation, the government has an obligation to put pressure on providers to guarantee we are always in touch with emergency services.
There Mr Baldwin - we're already complaining more!!