Eddie Russell
Residents in Mt Atkinson are frustrated with the lack of mobile reception, which is limiting their ability to communicate.
Local mother Jaksha Shah is concerned this could result in something more serious.
“As a working mother, it’s particularly concerning as it affects my ability to stay connected with my family,” she said.
“It’s an emergency issue. If you can’t call triple-0, what are you going to do?”
Ms Shah said the knock-on effects were compounding and were impeding on the day-to-day activities of locals.
“It compromises our safety, disrupts daily communication, and hinders productivity for residents who rely on mobile connectivity for work and education.”
Ms Shah said internet coverage in the area is also poor.
“We don’t have proper internet. The network is quite inconsistent and that has already been raised a number of times.”
Ms Shah said there is no excuse for what is happening.
“We have so many new developments near us and only ours has this issue,” she said.
“I don’t know if they had issues in their early days … but Mt Atkinson has been around for four or five years now.”
“Someone needs to put more urgency on these issues because other areas are developing faster.”
Star Weekly understands Melton council wrote to telecommunications providers in March and met with them to discuss an intended roll-out of facilities in Mt Atkinson.
A Melton council spokesperson said council understood the difficulties faced by those impacted.
“Poor telecommunications coverage in growing areas can impact accessibility and connectivity,” she said.
“We will continue to advocate to providers for better telecommunications coverage across the City of Melton.”
An Optus spokesperson said the telco was committed to improving its coverage and growing its network in areas where its customers need it.
“Optus is seeking to improve mobile connectivity in Mount Atkinson as part of the Victorian Government’s Connected Victoria Mobile Program,” the spokesperson said.
Telstra and Vodafone were all contacted for comment.
Communications Minister Michell Rowland was also contacted for comment.
