Conflicting advice fuels mobile outage confusion

MOBILE services in Torquay will be interrupted over the coming weeks, but conflicting information from Telstra left users unsure what to expect.

Telstra users began receiving geotargeted text messages on 23 February, citing a reduction of services between 7am and 5pm from 25 February for 16 days.

“From the 25/02/2026 for 16 days, Telstra will be shutting down the Torquay Site for OH&S purposes. These third-party works will result in a reduction in Telstra coverage between 7AM and 5PM each day,” the text message read.

But information published by the service provider online said the Torquay North site will be offline from 7am to 7pm from 25-27 February.

A Telstra spokesperson confirmed the full site outage only ran for three days, during which there was little complaint from affected locals.

“To clarify, due to planned works being undertaken by another mobile provider, we’ve been asked to temporarily shut down our equipment on the shared tower while these works are carried out,” the spokesperson said.

Telstra confirmed these types of outages are common practice and though they can be inconvenient, worker safety must come first.

“Typically it is not safe for a person to work on a tower while it’s operating and it’s safest to carry out works like this during daylight hours as the wellbeing of people always comes first,” the spokesperson said.

During times of interruption Telstra has advised that calls and text messages can only be made by switching devices to Wi-Fi calls.

Landline and NBN services were not affected by the site outage. Intermittent disruptions to services are expected to continue between 7am and 7pm until Friday 13 March.

The outages come as the Surf Coast Shire resolved to lobby the federal government for improved services in the region.

The shire will table a motion at the Australian Local Government Association national assembly calling on the federal government to “require mobile and data carriers to provide adequate network coverage to support peak loads, especially in areas at high risk of bushfire or other natural disaster”.

Parliament is already considering a a bill to ensure minimum coverage standards nationwide, but shire deputy mayor Tony Phelps said it was not enough.

“In many places along our coast, mobile coverage consistently fails as soon as large numbers of visitors arrive.

“Without functioning networks in an emergency situation, the results are potentially disastrous.

“We are one of the most bushfire-prone areas in the state, and we need federal legislation that requires network carriers to provide enough coverage to meet peak demand, rather than just a bare minimum.”

During the effected days, calls from Telstra mobiles to Triple Zero will automatically connect to another mobile network.

Telstra was not able to elaborate on the reason for the site shutdown, stating it came at the request of a third party.