Eddie Russell
The days of poor phone reception are coming to a close in Mt Atkinson, with the state government announcing it will significantly bolster network connection.
In total, 36 mobile network improvements will be made in Melton and Brimbank areas over the next two years.
The project, to be completed through the Connecting Victoria program, will be progressively rolled out and is expected to be fully completed by mid 2026 .
In Melton, existing mobile infrastructure will be upgraded to provide 5G services and new mobile towers in Rockbank South will be built to improve coverage for residents in Rockbank and Mt Atkinson, Grandview, and Olivia estates.
As reported by Star Weekly, residents in estates like Mt Atkinson have been plagued by black spots and suffered from zero to little mobile coverage and WiFiconnection.
Local Jaksha Shah welcomed the move.
“It’s a step in the right direction and we really appreciate the state government effort to do something about it,” she said.
“It will be great to see action so I’m positive.”
However, residents will still have to put up with a lack of coverage for the next few years.
“It [reception] is still poor. I went to the community centre a couple of days ago and there’s no network there,” said Ms Shah.
“This should’ve happened earlier.”
An NBN business fibre zone has also been delivered in Rockbank to provide high-speed broadband between Rockbank and Mount Cottrell.
In Brimbank, four new towers are expected to be completed between 2025 and 2026.
On July 31, Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch asked Government Services Minister Gabrielle Williams to provide an update on mobile broadband and wi-fi infrastructure investments for the area.
More than a month later, the minister replied to confirm the details, saying “digital resilience” was essential.
“Reliable access to emergency services via mobile connectivity is critical,” she said.
Ms Grigorovitch said the importance of staying connected was something the state government recognised, with the recent investment a reflection of that sentiment.
“We are delivering mobile network improvements for the City of Melton… something that is well and truly needed,” she said.
