Tailem Bend gets 5G mobile phone coverage
Plus all Telstra payphones are now free to use.
Tailem Bend’s first 5G phone towers have been switched on, giving local mobile users access to faster internet.
Telstra customers with a 5G-capable device, who are registered with a 5G plan, should now be able to access download speeds of around 220 megabits per second on the local network.
That’s fast enough to watch the highest-quality video stream with ease.
Two towers will provide coverage in the area: one just east of the township, and one near The Bend Motorsport Park.
Regional general manager Mark Bolton said it was an exciting development.
Rival carriers Optus and Vodafone both provide 4G coverage at Tailem Bend and in surrounding areas.
Telstra is also the only carrier to provide 5G coverage in Murray Bridge.
The World Health Organisation, Australia’s chief medical officer, the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and have all declared 5G to be no threat whatsoever to human health.
The radio waves produced by 5G transmitters cannot even penetrate human skin, according to the ARPNSA.
- More information: www.health.gov.au.
We don’t have to pay for payphones any more
Meanwhile, Telstra has also made a change to the payphones which remain operational on its network.
All calls to standard local, national and mobile phone numbers from payphones will now be free.
Chief executive officer Andrew Penn said Australia’s 15,000 payphones were most often used during disasters, or by people who were at their most vulnerable, such as those experiencing homelessness or escaping abuse.
“Even in the age of the smartphone they play such a critical role in our community, particularly in times of need, and particularly for those in need,” he said.
You might be surprised to learn that about two dozen phone booths are still operational in Murray Bridge and surrounds.
- Find a payphone: ppol.pbspectrum.com.au.
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