Seeing red over black holes

More than 350 frustrated mobile and internet users representing more than 40 postal codes across Rural WA have joined forces on Facebook page Telecommunications Rural Black Hole.

Escalated phone call drop-outs, slow connections and high data usage over a six-week period prompted Emma Cullen, of Coorow, and Anita Grima, from Mullewa, to investigate how many other rural users were experiencing similar problems.

After starting the page on October 30, Emma said their initial thought was to gauge which areas were suffering reduced mobile and internet connection and unite users sick of substandard service.

Within 24 hours 35 replies detailing similar coverage issues and inadequate responses from service providers were posted from 24 locations across the State. Within a week the page had attracted more than 300 followers.

Since then Ms Cullen has filed an error report (T 1 312 324242895) with Telstra, linking it to 40 postal codes with the objective of returning the service to what it was.

"The thing so annoying is Telstra is going on case by case and not looking at it as a bigger picture; that's what I can't get through to them," she said.

"Everyone who has made complaints is getting the same problem; the first thing Telstra do is blame us, our handset, our sim cards, our area, too many trees, the weather, our house, illegal repeaters in the area … Telstra refuses to believe they have an issue."

At least 10 of the locations listed on the Telecommunications Rural Black Hole page are not recognised on the black spot database.

The mobile black spot program is a Federal Government commitment to spend $100 million across a four-year period to extend mobile phone coverage and competition in regional Australia. This investment focuses on rural telecommunications network infrastructures, including mobile voice and wireless broadband services.

Nominations of mobile black spot areas were called in December last year and are now closed.

Of 6225 responses across Australia only 533 were received from WA.

Ms Cullen questions why such a low response has been generated in WA.

"Is it shame on us or is it shame on them for not advertising it better or getting it out there better, or the Shire not putting it forward to individuals," she said.

"I don't know where that went wrong, were they too busy advertising for the NBN and they forgot about all of us?

"Farmers are really patient people deep down. We put up with a lot of hardship, but when there are that many of us willing to say 'hey, this isn't working' you have to listen', it is time to help us out and try to fix the problem, not dismiss it."

Nationals MLA Shane Love said that as a long-term resident of his electorate of Moore, he fully understood the frustrations of poor mobile reception.

"WA is huge and it is sparsely populated," he said.

"The matter of telecommunications is a federal issue but in recognition of the limitations of poor mobile reception, $40 million worth of Royalties for Regions funding has delivered 113 mobile towers across regional WA worth $106 million under the Regional Mobile Communications Project.

"A further $45 million of Royalties for Regions funding will deliver 85 more towers under the Regional Telecommunications Project due to start in 2015."

Mullewa farmer Cameron Jenkins has spent a lot of time researching coverage in his area.

"I have conducted speed test after speed test, next to the tower, away from the tower, at various parts of the day and it is nowhere near the services offered or you are paying for," he said.

"This is a problem across the whole State.

"Farmers are using mobile coverage to share data and remain competitive with the rest of the world with remote assistance and infield documentation.

"Being able to share data is really important and it is near impossible some days to open LoadNet or do anything on your mobile device with internet.

"It really affects our business.

"And it's not only our businesses suffering, it puts challenges on rural people socially; my girlfriend is Dutch and trying to FaceTime or Skype is a nightmare."