Fosterville has more than gold bars

A NEW mobile phone tower has been constructed at the Fosterville gold mine to improve coverage in the region.

Built by Telstra, the project was funded in partnership by Telstra, Agnico Eagle, and the federal government.

It’s one of seven towers that will be built in region this year and future sites include Axedale, Knowsley, Colbinabbin, Toolleen Sports Club, and Heathcote Raceway.

Steve Tinker, the Victorian regional general manager for Telstra, said co-investment programs where network carriers, private sector, and government can share costs are vital to improving regional connectivity.

“We know how important mobile connectivity is becoming for Australians, and we can see this each day in our network data,” Mr Tinker said.

“Each day we have about 20 million devices using our mobile network and together they make about 60 million phone calls, send 40 million SMS, and use about 8.6 million gigabytes of mobile data.”

The federal government has funded the development of the seven new towers through their Regional Connectivity Program (RCP) and has spent more than $1 million to assist the build.

This latest round of RCP funding totals $134 million and is the second to be delivered and is supporting up to 91 projects to improve regional connectivity nationwide.

Federal member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters, who was at the launch of the Fosterville tower, said the project would support businesses and communities in the area.

“This significant project will make a meaningful difference to communities in Fosterville, delivering improved connectivity and access to essential digital services like telehealth,” Ms Chesters said.

“It will also support our local businesses to employ new technologies that will boost productivity.”