Telstra switches on Port Fairy 5G mobile network

The network went live late on Friday after engineers finished a week of upgrades.

A Telstra spokesman said engineers would continue to monitor the new network over coming days to ensure any potential teething problems were ironed out.

The upgrade follows many years of complaints about the quality of Port Fairy's phone coverage, especially during busy tourist periods.

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The project wasn't scheduled for completion until late 2022 or even 2023, but after The Standard highlighted the plight of some Port Fairy residents Telstra appeared to drastically accelerate its plans.

The upgrade comes just a week before the Port Fairy Folk Festival, normally the busiest time of year for the town's mobile network.

Telstra regional general manager Steve Tinker said getting the network upgrade done before the festival had been a priority.

He said the company had expanded the existing network as well as adding the new 5G capacity.

"As well as the upgrade to 5G, we're also upgrading capacity on the 4G network, which means better connectivity and less congestion on the mobile network in these places when it's busier.

"We know this has been an issue in the area and we've worked to deliver our upgrades in time for the upcoming Labour Day long weekend and Port Fairy Folk Festival," Mr Tinker said.

While this year's festival crowd will be smaller than previous years, the coming weekend will be the first major test of the new network.

Port Fairy previously had one 3G band, and two 4G bands on its Telstra network. The upgrades have added an extra 4G band and two new 5G bands to the service.

Mr Tinker said the expanded 4G capacity and new 5G network would help eliminate coverage black spots and even out the peaks and troughs in speed.

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