Mobile Phone and Device Black Spots Connectivity Assessment

Digital Economy Group Pty Ltd

ABN 48 153 285 191

P.O. Box 1191

Nambour, Queensland 4560

Whitsunday Regional Organisation of Councils

Mobile Phone and Device Black Spots

Connectivity Assessment

Mackay Regional Council

2 February 2016

Strategy, Planning & Development Implementation Programs

Research, Analysis & Measurement Mobile Coverage Testing

Digital Mapping

Mackay Regional Council Mobile Phone and Device

Black Spots Connectivity

Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191

P.O. Box 1191

Nambour, Queensland 4560

Document History

Version Author Amendments Date

V1.0 Megan Whereat Initial Draft 16 November 2015

V1.1 Michael Whereat Prepare & import test results 29 November 2015

V1.2 Michael Whereat Assess blackspots & priorities 5 December 2015

V1.3 Michael Whereat Draft 13 December 2015

V1.4 Megan Whereat Final with revisions 24 January 2016

V1.5 Michael Whereat Final with amendments 2 February 2016

Distribution List

Person Title

Heather Norris Executive Officer, Whitsunday ROC Ltd

Michael Whereat Director, Digital Economy Group

Disclaimer:

Information in this document is based on available data at the time of writing this document.

Digital Economy Group Pty Ltd or its officers accept no responsibility for any loss occasioned to

any person acting or refraining from acting in reliance upon any material contained in this

document.

Copyright

© Digital Economy Group 2011-15.

This document is copyright and must be used except as permitted below or under the Copyright

Act 1968. You may reproduce and publish this document in whole or in part for you and your

organisation’s own personal and internal compliance, educational or non-commercial purposes.

You must not reproduce or publish this document for commercial gain without the prior written

consent of the Digital Economy Group Pty. Ltd.



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Commercial in Confidence i | P a g e

Contents

1. Executive Summary 1 2. Introduction 6 3. Methodology 7 3.1. The Study Area 7 3.2. Current Carrier Coverage 8 3.3 Current Carrier Sites and ACMA Licences overview 10 3.4 Carrier Baseline 11 3.5 Testing Methodology 11 3.5.1 Network Performance Tests 11 3.5.2 Network Performance Time Series Testing 12 3.5.3 Testing Equipment and Presentation Limitations 13 4. Australian Government Mobile Black Spot Programme and locally identified Black Spots 13 4.1. Mobile Black Spot Programme 13 4.2. Mobile Black Spot Programme – Round 2 14 4.3. Locally identified Black Spots 14 5 Mobile Coverage Testing Results 15 5.1 Tested Routes 16 5.2 Signal Strength 16 5.2.1 Voice and 3G Black Spots 17 5.2.2 4G LTE Black Spots 19 5.3 Network Site Test locations and assessment overview 21 5.4 Network Performance Time Series Tests 25 5.5 Network Performance Time Series Test Carrier Comparison 28 5.6 Top priority locations for the Mackay Regional Council 30 6 Conclusion 34 Appendix 1: AT&T Drive Studio and Ericsson Release Global Study on Connected Car Buyers 35 Appendix 2: Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 1 Successful Sites 36 Appendix 3: Current Carrier Infrastructure 37 Appendix 4: Network Performance Test Results by Carrier 40 Appendix 5: Network Performance Time Series Test Graphs 43 Appendix 6: Terms and Abbreviations 48

Table of Figures Figure 1: Benchmark Location Brisbane CBD – Time Series Testing ..................................................... 12

Figure 2: Signal Strength – Rural Town (left) & – Town Centre (right) ................................................. 17

Figure 3: Time Series Test – Mackay City .............................................................................................. 25

Figure 4: Time Series Test – Sarina Beach ............................................................................................. 26

Figure 5: Time Series Test - Eungella .................................................................................................... 26

Figure 6: Time Series Test - St Helens Beach ........................................................................................ 27

Figure 7: Time Series Test – Rural View ................................................................................................ 27

Figure 8: Telstra Time Series Tests ........................................................................................................ 28

Figure 9: Optus Time Series Tests ......................................................................................................... 29

Figure 10: Vodafone Time Series Tests ................................................................................................. 29

Table of Maps Map 1: Mackay Regional Council Priority Map ...................................................................................... 2

Map 2: Study Area .................................................................................................................................. 7

Map 3: Telstra Mobile Phone and Broadband Coverage ........................................................................ 8

Map 4: Optus Mobile Broadband Coverage ........................................................................................... 9

Map 5: Vodafone Mobile Broadband Coverage ..................................................................................... 9



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Map 6: Current Mobile Carrier Sites – Mackay Regional Council ......................................................... 10

Map 7: Mobile Black Spot Programme Community contributed Black Spot locations ........................ 14

Map 8: Routes used for Voice, 3G & Call Drop together with testing for 4G LTE ................................ 16

Map 9: Voice, 3G and Call Drop Black Spots ......................................................................................... 18

Map 10: Mackay 4G LTE Black Spots .................................................................................................... 20

Map 11: Network Performance Test Locations (using Optus results) .................................................. 21

Map 12: Mackay Regional Council Priority Map .................................................................................. 30

Tables Table 1: Network Performance Test Scores .......................................................................................... 12

Table 2: Digital Divide and Location Comparison ................................................................................. 16

Table 3: Summary of Voice 3G & Call Drop Black Spots ....................................................................... 19

Table 4: Summary of 4G Black Spots for the Mackay Regional Council Area ....................................... 20

Table 5: Network Performance Test Results and Assessment ............................................................. 22

Table 6: Consolidated Network Performance Test Scores ................................................................... 23



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1. Executive Summary

Mobile connectivity, for phone calls and broadband, has become a utility expected by business,

residents and the community. The rapid development of new technologies and faster connection

options has resulted in regional and rural areas of Australia being on the wrong side of the ‘Digital

Divide’. In our capital cities there are virtually no Black Spots for coverage and rapid deployment of

the latest generation of connectivity. On the other side of the ‘Digital Divide’ Black Spots form the

largest part of the landscape and their townships have technology a generation or two behind.

For Local Government areas such as Mackay Regional Council, the challenge is to find ways to partner

with the three privately owned carriers to reduce the extent of Black Spot coverage and increase

access to quality internet data transfer speeds. They must seek to drive expanded and advanced

deployment of the best generation technology the carriers are prepared to invest in.

Managing the region in times of disaster or emergency, providing a positive experience for visitors

and delivering greater productivity for businesses is now a constant requirement for successful local

government areas.

Whitsunday ROC has engaged the Digital Economy Group (DEG) to benchmark carrier performance

and identify priorities to reduce Black Spots and improve coverage across the region. This report has

been prepared specifically for Mackay Regional Council (Council) to provide a local perspective. An

overarching report for the whole region has also been produced to draw the key findings of all three

individual reports together and guide the regional priorities.

This report contains the following three elements:

identify the Voice, 3G Black Spots, Call Drop and sample 4G LTE in the urban areas

test the network performance to identify where network upgrades are required

list the priority locations and short list for Council and the region to pursue the Mobile Black

Spot Programme Round 2 funding

A total of approximately 556klms of roads were driven across the Mackay Regional Council area. For

the Voice, 3G and call drop testing, 501klms were driven and 55klms for 4G LTE testing. A total of 43

individual Network Performance Tests were also completed to test the validity of the coverage maps

and confirm that the signal strength maps translated into actual connectivity. A total of 5 Time Series

Network Performance tests were performed to illustrate the quality of each respective network and

associated reliability.



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The top priority locations for the Mackay Regional Council:

The Mackay Regional Council priority areas are based on a consolidation of the three testing

methodologies together with local feedback. There are two types of focus for Mackay Regional Council

to work with the carriers on:

Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 2 opportunities to remove black spots, and

improving capacity and competition where there is coverage

The Map below identifies the roads driven with a thin pale blue line. Locations along the driven routes

without any colouring have coverage from all three carriers. To identify mobile coverage Black Spots

(areas where there is no coverage from any of the three carriers) look for the solid black lines. The

thick yellow lines represent where Telstra and Vodafone have coverage but Optus does not. The thick

red lines Telstra and Optus have coverage and Vodafone does not have coverage. The third colour,

orange, represents locations where Optus and Vodafone do not have coverage but Telstra does.

Map 1: Mackay Regional Council Priority Map

Sources: Google Earth 2015,

Queensland Local Government

Areas & DEG interpretation



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The Mackay Regional Council mobile coverage and capacity priorities (draft) are:

Priority 1 – Kuttabul

This Bruce Highway location was identified by DEG

as a result of the testing. Although small in area,

additional testing in the area is likely to expose the

full extent across the surrounding agricultural

areas.

Despite a small population base, the location on

the Bruce Highway and strong agricultural area is

one of the few remaining three carrier Black Spots

in the Mackay Regional Council area and warrants

a detailed evaluation for the Mobile Black Spot

Funding Round 2.

Note: Additional testing required to confirm extent

of this Black Spot

Added to the National Mobile Black Spot register

Priority 2 – Pinevale

This location was nominated as a known Black

Spot. Detailed testing has confirmed the absence

of coverage for all three carriers.

Despite a small population base, this strong

agricultural area is one of the few remaining three

carrier Black Spots in the Mackay Regional Council

area and warrants a detailed evaluation for the

Mobile Black Spot Funding Round 2.

Priority 3 – Mount Charlton

This location was identified by DEG as a Black Spot

area. Detailed testing has confirmed the absence

of coverage for all three carriers.



carrier Black Spots in the Mackay Regional Council



Priority 4 – Mount Ossa

This location was identified by DEG as a potential

Black Spot area. Detailed testing has confirmed

patches of three carrier Black Spot. Where there is

coverage, it is typically very weak. Some users will

experience significant dropouts here.



carrier Black Spots in the Mackay Regional council





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Priority 5 – Gargett

This location is a Mobile Black Spot Programme

Round 1 funded site. DEG have included in the

draft report to seek confirmation from Telstra that

the Round 1 site, when operational, will resolve

the full extent of the area identified as a Black Spot.

If yes, it can be removed as a priority. If the answer

is no, the need for a second site will need to be

evaluated for Round 2 consideration.

Priority 6 - Eungella

The Network Performance Test results for Telstra

and Vodafone at Eungella failed to generate

acceptable connections to the internet.

Despite several resets and reconnections of the

phones no viable connection could be established.

Advocacy with Telstra and Vodafone is

recommended here.

Priority 7 - Sarina Range - Sarina-Marlborough

Rd

Testing by DEG of the Sarina-Marlborough Rd

across the Sarina Range in mid-2013 identified this

as a Black Spot.

A desktop review of current coverage maps from

each of the three carriers confirms the area is still

a pervasive blackspot.

Priority 8 - Middle Creek Dam – West of Sarina

This location is a Council facility (Water reservoir)

and small residential area.

A desktop review of this site confirms that none of

the carriers have coverage here sufficient for

reliable services.

The DEG report forms the initial basis for effectively seeking to reduce Black Spots and progress to a

higher standard of communications coverage.

Whitsunday ROC and the Mackay Regional Council will now need to continue building the partnership

with the carriers based on knowledge of their networks and an insight into carrier’s intent to deliver

a high standard where it is commercially viable. A key part of building the partnership with carriers is



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to demonstrate a willingness to encourage the uptake of services on the network by providing a good

communications program. When developed in consultation with the carriers, independent of

individual carriers, business and community can identify ways to use mobile networks to achieve

productivity benefits for their business. This helps carriers to achieve greater viability for investment.

The Whitsunday ROC and the Mackay Regional Council has the potential to influence the carrier

investment programs, achieve better services for the region and move to the right side of the digital

divide. The best way to do this is by using this baseline report and continuing the facilitation of mobile

communications coverage and good partnerships.



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2. Introduction

Mobile phone and broadband services continue to be the major growth area of the Australian

telecommunications market. Mobile use of the internet for business and personal use is a major

influence in this growth.

At the time Australia’s population had reached 22.8 million (30 June 20111) there were 29.28 million

mobile services (voice and data). Telstra reported recently that 4G data use for Australians was

doubling every 4 months and the number of 4G customers had doubled in 6 months.

Connectivity is becoming an essential feature for car buyers. A new study by AT&T Drive Studio and

Ericsson has found connectivity to be a critical factor for car buyers looking to make a new purchase.

The study, based on the opinions of customers likely to buy a car in the next three years from the US,

Germany, Brazil, Mexico and China, found increased awareness and demand for in-vehicle

connectivity and more importantly, connected car services such as internet radio, navigation service

with real time traffic updates, and on board Wi-Fi hotspot (Refer Appendix 1).

This is significant for all areas of Australia as the rapid growth is forecast to continue creating a digital

divide for those areas where mobile connectivity is reduced or compromised compared with the

capital cities.

The Whitsunday ROC has engaged the Digital Economy Group to complete a Mobile Phone and Device

Black Spots Connectivity Assessment for the Whitsunday Region. This includes the preparation of

individual reports for three local governments.

This report has been prepared specifically for the Mackay Regional Council.

1 Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006 Census.



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3. Methodology

The methodology used by DEG for independent Mobile Coverage Testing (MCT) has been developed

over five years of ground proofing and evolving discussions with carriers. The methodology follows

seven steps:

1. establish the study area

2. capturing current carrier coverage maps

3. create carrier infrastructure maps showing active sites

4. identifying testing routes and site test locations

5. completing the three selected core testing methods:

5.1. signal strength

5.2. network performance and

5.3. time series network performance

6. establish carrier Black Spot and determine priority network upgrades

7. providing a localised implementation plan

3.1. The Study Area

The study area for the whole project is the Whitsunday ROC region. The study area of this report is

the Mackay Regional Council area.

Map 2: Study Area

Source: Google Earth 2015, Queensland Local Government Boundaries & DEG interpretation.



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3.2. Current Carrier Coverage

Each of the three current active carriers publish indicative mobile broadband coverage maps on their

respective websites2 3 4. Carrier coverage maps are updated and modified from time to time. The

capture of this information allows DEG to establish the baseline coverage for each carrier in each of

the detailed study areas. These maps will allow the reader to compare current advertised coverage

for each of the carriers as it relates to their own localities. This baseline information is a key reference

point for expectations relating to the service levels of each of the carriers.

Note: Each of the carriers provides detailed caveats regarding the propagation characteristics of networks and

mobile broadband. Current versions of these considerations can be found on the relevant carrier websites as it

changes from time to time.

Map 3: Telstra Mobile Phone and Broadband Coverage

Sourced: http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/our-coverage/ 22 November

2015

2 http://www.telstra.com.au/mobile-phones/coverage-networks/our-coverage/mobile-broadband/

3 http://www.vodafone.com.au/aboutvodafone/network/checker

4 https://www.optus.com.au/network/mobile/coverage



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Map 4: Optus Mobile Broadband Coverage

Sourced https://www.optus.com.au/network/mobile/coverage Sourced: 22 November 2015

Map 5: Vodafone Mobile Broadband Coverage

Sourced: http://www.vodafone.com.au/aboutvodafone/network/checker Sourced: 22 November

2015



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3.3 Current Carrier Sites and ACMA Licences overview

All carrier radio licences in Australia are registered and managed by the Australian Communications

Media Authority (ACMA). The following map for Mackay Regional Council shows all current active

radio licences for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Carriers use different spectrum and technologies to

deliver connectivity for mobile phone calls and mobile internet. There is no consistent radius from a

site nor can it be expected that every site will generate 360 degree coverage. Local topography and

vegetation has a big impact on the ability of a device to secure a signal. Likewise, using a phone or

internet connected device indoors can significantly reduce the user experience.

nbn has been set with the challenge to deploy approx. 2,400 sites by mid-2018. nbn has appointed

Ericsson on a $1Billion plus contract. Many of the 2,400 sites required will have to be new sites

(particularly in regional and rural areas), as the existing three carriers have not extended their reach

to many of these areas.

Some sites are colocation (using existing radio transmission sites) with the balance being Greenfield

sites in new areas, potentially providing future mobile network expansion with reduced cost and

timeframe.

Map 6: Current Mobile Carrier Sites – Mackay Regional Council

Source: ACMA Radio Frequency Licences (Telstra, Optus & Vodafone) at 30 October 2015, Google

Earth 2015, Queensland Local Government Boundaries & DEG interpretation.



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3.4 Carrier Baseline

The carrier baseline developed below uses the most recent release of ACMA data (capturing licence

information up to the 30th October 2015). The full database contains over 30 columns of information

and many thousands of licences for all radio frequency licences in Australia. This has been filtered to

ensure only the Telstra, Optus and Vodafone radio licence information is used. This is further filtered

to remove satellite earth receive and send sites, navigation and aeronautical equipment maintained

by these companies.

Mobile broadband networks have two key components. The first is the transmission network, which

sends and receives data signals to the site and the second is the local access network – from the user

to the tower. The transmission network can be connected to a tower in two ways – either directly by

optic fibre or by wireless microwave. Carriers prefer to have optic fibre connectivity for all sites,

however, the microwave wireless network is more cost efficient to deploy to distant sites or in

locations with relatively small data transfers. In rural areas it is more common to have microwave

connectivity.

The transmission network usually consists of two types of set up. Point to point and point to multi

point. Locations set up as point to point only are retransmission sites. They therefore have the

potential to be upgraded with far less cost than a completely new site. A business case demonstrating

the number of clients served or strategic benefit is still required. Of the three carriers, Telstra has

more of these assets than Vodafone and Optus.

The local access network has one or more bands of spectrum deployed based on spectrum for the

areas, expected traffic demands on the site and other related factors. Local Access licences breakdown

into the bands of spectrum deployed in the area. The acquisition of spectrum is expensive and

complex, as parts of Australia are broken into areas including urban and non-urban. Depending on the

area and the population, carriers will seek to deploy spectrum to reflect their licences and the

strongest attributes to give ‘coverage’ to achieve the best possible results. Having two bands of

spectrum deployed across the region is the minimum objective.

3.5 Testing Methodology

There are three testing methods used to inform this report:

1. signal strength

• Call drop out for Voice and 3G

• 4G LTE

2. network performance

3. time series network performance

Each testing method serves to build a comprehensive picture of the service standards from all three

carriers and inform the priority builds across the tested area.

3.5.1 Network Performance Tests

The Network Performance tests are sited to evaluate the performance of specific carrier sites and

where possible, also test spectrum performance. The Network Performance Tests (NPTs) are

completed to validate the Signal Strength results and to challenge the carrier network with download,

upload and network response time. This test methodology reflects a real world scenario for a user,

downloading a 7.5Mb item and uploading a 7.5Mb item. Both tests are aggregated into a score as seen

in Table 1 below.



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Table 1: Network Performance Test Scores

Score Latency/Ping (ms) Download Speed (in Mbps) Upload Speed (in Mbps)

0 - 0 0

1 2000+ 0.01 – 0.25 0.01-0.249

2 1500-1999 0.26-0.50 0.250-0.500

3 1200-1499 0.51- 0.99 0.500-0.749

4 1000-1199 1.00 -1.99 0.750-0.99

5 800-999 2.00 -2.99 1.00-1.99

6 600-799 3.00 – 3.99 2.00-2.49

7 500-599 4.00 – 4.99 2.50-4.99

8 300-499 5.00 – 9.99 5.00-7.49

9 200-299 10.00 – 19.99 7.50-9.99

10 100-199 20.00 – 49.99 10.00-14.99

11 75-99 50.00-74.99 15.00-19.99

12 50-74 75.00-99.99 20.00-29.99

13 30-49 100-124.99 30.00-39.99

14 20-29 125-149.99 40.00-49.99

15 Less than 20 150 + 50+

3.5.2 Network Performance Time Series Testing

The primary Time Series Test used in the Mobile Coverage Testing program is 10 Network Performance

Tests in a series. This serves to validate the individual Network Performance Tests and puts the

individual networks and the devices under a spot light. The overlay of all three test results onto the

same graph (sample below) clearly illustrates the network performance.

Figure 1: Benchmark Location Brisbane CBD – Time Series Testing

Source: DEG MCT 2015

The Time Series Tests combined with the individual Network Performance Tests establishes a robust

profile of the carrier performance confirming strengths and highlighting weaknesses.

The sites used for the Mackay Regional Council testing program are spread across the local

government area and illustrate the performance of networks with higher and lower investment

strategies.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps

Telstra DL Optus DL Vodafone DL

Telstra UL Optus UL Vodafone UL



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3.5.3 Testing Equipment and Presentation Limitations

While all care is taken to ensure the highest quality data capture and result presentation, there are a

number of known limitations:

tests are taken at a point in time and repeated tests may show some variation due to

network performance, weather and electronic interference. Where Time Series Testing is

used, this serves to validate the Network Performance Test results.

any network based on radio technology, device quality or local conditions may prevent or

interfere with mobile reception within coverage areas. e. g. inside concrete buildings, lift

wells, basements, tunnels and road cuttings. High rise buildings may also suffer

degradation of service

all results are indicative of signal strength at one point in time at any given location from

a given provider, are not represented in a time scale over, and therefore are not

necessarily representative of the mean signal strength in any place over a given period of

time

variations between equipment can assist or limit the results. DEG use identical

smartphones to remove most of the potential variables.

4. Australian Government Mobile Black Spot Programme and locally identified Black Spots

4.1. Mobile Black Spot Programme

In 2014, the Australian Government announced the Mobile Black Spot Programme (The Programme)

and committed $100 million towards a funding program involving eligible carriers, state, local

governments and other contributing stakeholders.

On 25 June 2015, the Round 1 sites were announced with 499 sites funded using a total funding pool

of $385million. On the same date, the Australian government committed a further $60miilion as the

foundation commitment to a Round 2 of the programme.

To assist with the identification of Black Spot Locations, the Department of Communications

established a database and provided the opportunity for individuals and organisations to register

where they considered there to be Black Spots – See Map 7 below. The nature of the user contributed

database means that there are no qualitative parameters. A user with an Optus account may resister

a site despite having Telstra and Vodafone coverage and so on. The concentration of Submitted Black

Spots in the Mackay Regional Council area highlights this. In addition, areas that are Black Spots may

not have been nominated. To qualify for the Programme, an area must not have signal from any of

the three carriers.

In the Whitsunday ROC region, three sites were identified for funding from Round 1:

Gargett - Mackay RC

Bowen Developmental Road, between Bowen and Collinsville – Whitsunday RC

Clarke Creek – Isaac RC5

Each of the three local governments share extensive and pervasive three carrier Black Spots that

warrant investigation for Round 2 of the Programme.

5 Note. The Clarke Creek site identified as a Round 1 site as a result of earlier testing and validation by DEG in

2012.



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Map 7: Mobile Black Spot Programme Community contributed Black Spot locations

Date: 5 December 2105 Source: http://nationalmap.gov.au/ - Layer: mobile-black-spot-

programme:database-group

4.2. Mobile Black Spot Programme – Round 2

Round 2 of the Programme is expected to operate under similar guidelines as the first round of the

Programme. The Government will review the results of Round 1 to determine if there should be any

changes.

Round 2 of the Programme will offer further opportunities to meet unmet demand and provide

coverage to more locations around regional and remote Australia.

The competitive selection process for the second round of funding is expected to commence in 2016,

after allowing time for further locations to be nominated by members of the public. The locations to

be funded under Round 2 are expected to be announced by the end of 2016.

Following the completion of the testing and prioritisation process, Whitsunday ROC will need to

complete the online Black Spot Nomination Form6. DEG will undertake advocacy for these sites as per

the contract. The Whitsunday ROC together with each of the three Councils are encouraged to engage

with local, state and commonwealth representatives to seek letters of support for priority locations.

Areas with additional site assessments and potential contributions generated higher success rates

than areas that simply nominated Black Spot locations.

4.3. Locally identified Black Spots

Prior to testing, Whitsunday ROC provided DEG with the following known Black Spot locations in the

Mackay Regional Council Region.

6 https://www.communications.gov.au/blackspots



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Pinevale area

Testing did identify clear issues for coverage with all three carriers, this location has been

added to the priority location for Mackay.

Just before Farleigh heading north on Bruce Highway from Mackay

Testing here did identify weak signals but it did not qualify as a blackspot. Users in this area

may need to ensure they use higher quality hand held devices or use car antennas to achieve

more consistent coverage.

Following testing, Mackay Regional Council identified a further three locations that were not tested

or returned poor results:

Hogan’s Pocket - Refuse Facility

Specific address details are required for a desktop assessment of the location to be

undertaken.

Sarina Range - Sarina-Marlborough Rd

Testing by DEG of the Sarina-Marlborough Rd across the Sarina Range in mid-2013 identified

this as a Black Spot. A desktop review of current coverage maps from each of the three

carriers confirms the area is still a pervasive blackspot. It has been included in the Mackay

Region priority list.

Middle Creek Dam – West of Sarina

A desktop review of this site confirms that none of the carriers have coverage here that is

sufficient for reliable services. This location has been included in the Mackay Region priority

list.

Eungella – West of Mackay

The Network Performance Test results for Telstra and Vodafone at Eungella failed to generate

acceptable connections to the internet. Despite several resets and reconnections of the

phones no viable connection could be established.

5 Mobile Coverage Testing Results

The Mobile Phone and Device Black Spots Connectivity Assessment for Mackay Regional Council

highlights the digital divide that the region is seeking to overcome. There are areas with 4G Advanced

services from all three carriers in Mackay and a number of the coastal or larger urban communities.

The Mackay Regional Council area can be characterised as being a regional city surrounded by regional

and rural zones when referenced against the Digital Divide and Location Comparison developed by

DEG for mobile coverage assessment.

Council and regional stakeholders will need to focus on reducing the extent of mobile phone and

mobile broadband Black Spot coverage and push for higher penetration of 4G and 4G Advanced.

Capital cities and urban locations may always have another level of technology first, but regions need

to push to narrow the divide and remain attractive to retain population and attract new local

investment.



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Table 2: Digital Divide and Location Comparison

Source: DEG 2015

5.1 Tested Routes

The proposed testing routes for the Mackay Regional Council area included approximately 556klms of

testing. Approximately 501klms were driven capturing Voice and 3G results and 55.43klms for 4G LTE.

The map below illustrates the actual Voice 3G and 4G LTE routes completed during testing.

Map 8: Routes used for Voice, 3G & Call Drop together with testing for 4G LTE

Voice, 3G & Call Drop Testing 501lms 4G LTE Testing – 55.43klms

Sources: Google Earth 2015, Queensland Local Governments & DEG overlay

5.2 Signal Strength

The signal strength testing is undertaken for each of the three major carriers: Telstra, Optus and

Vodafone. The smart phone devices are typically set to generate markers every 50m.

The tests are exported to a GIS platform to allow a rapid on site assessment of the full range of signal

strengths from Low Signal Range to High Signal Range and Black Spot locations. This assessment phase

also involves a comparison of the test results with the carrier advertised coverage maps. The Signal

Strength Test evaluates the strength of the signal from the local tower to the testing location.



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Figure 2: Signal Strength – Rural Town (left) & – Town Centre (right)

Sources: Google Earth 2015 and DEG 2015

The Signal Strength Test involves the capture of phone signal strengths from 0 through to 31. Where

the signal is zero, a Black Spot is registered. The remaining 31 bands are broken into:

1-10 (red shades) as the Low Signal Range, poorest signals

11-20 (blue shades) as the Mid Signal Range representing the middle of the spectrum and

21-31 (green shades) representing the High Signal Range and the strongest signals possible

5.2.1 Voice and 3G Black Spots

Black Spots are locations or sections of road where no signal can be found, resulting in failure to

connect to the network. The identification of a Black Spot (Map below) begins with the signal strength

markers collected across the region.

The Voice, 3G and Call Drop signal strength testing for the Mackay Regional Council covered approx.

501klms and generated approx. 10,020 markers for each of the three carriers (with signal strength

taken every 50m). The resultant 30,060 markers provide a strong and detailed evidence base showing

the real extent of network coverage for mobile phones.

This data has then been filtered and mapped to highlight coverage Black Spots. The Map below shows

the roads tested and the extent of Black Spots in the area. The colour code is as follows:

Black – no signal for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone

Orange - Optus and Vodafone have no signal – Telstra is generating a signal

Yellow – No Optus signal – Telstra and Vodafone have signal

Red - No Vodafone signal – Telstra and Optus have signal

Blue – No Telstra signal – Optus and Vodafone have signal

Green – Telstra and Optus have no signal – Vodafone has signal

Purple – Telstra and Vodafone have no signal – Optus has signal

The Map (below) highlights the concentration of Black Spots on rural roads away from urban

centres. The first observation to note is the absence of three carrier Black Spots in any of the tested

locations. The next key point is that out of the approx. 501klms tested, some 167klms of roads or

almost 41% experienced Black Spots for either all three carriers or a combination of one or two

carriers. The table below separates each of the Black Spot categories by kilometres and percentage

of the total.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Map 9: Voice, 3G and Call Drop Black Spots

Sources: Google Earth 2015, Queensland Local Government Areas & DEG interpretation

The three carrier Black Spots in Mackay are located in only a few concentrated locations. The three

carrier Black Spots (26.63klms or 5.32% of the total tested) are generated in two areas – Pinevale and

Mt Charlton. Joined to the Mt Charlton Black Spot is a 8.5klms section of Telstra and Vodafone Black

Spot (shown in purple). These locations will form the basis for Mobile Black Spot Programme priorities

in Mackay.

Across the remainder of the tested area, it is the Black Spots of Vodafone (53.5klms -shown in red)

that occupy most of the map. After that it is the combined Vodafone/Optus Black Spots (24.84klms)

and Optus Black Spots (19.5lms) that dominate the map. In terms of signal strength, the map clearly

shows the need for Vodafone and Optus to improve their network performance here to remain

competitive with Telstra.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Table 3: Summary of Voice 3G & Call Drop Black Spots

Voice, 3G and Call Drop Signal Strength Coverage klms percent

White - coverage from all three carriers 365.76 73.01

Black – no signal for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone 26.63 5.32

Orange - Optus and Vodafone have no signal – Telstra has signal 24.84 4.96

Yellow – No Optus signal – Telstra and Vodafone have signal 19.5 3.89

Red - No Vodafone signal – Telstra and Optus have signal 53.5 10.68

Blue – No Telstra signal – Optus and Vodafone have signal 0.59 0.12

Green – Telstra and Optus have no signal – Vodafone has signal 1.65 0.33

Purple – Telstra and Vodafone have no signal – Optus has signal 8.53 1.70

Total 501 100

5.2.2 4G LTE Black Spots

Digital Economy Group tested for 4G LTE signals in the Mackay Regional Council area in key urban

locations and where return drives provided the opportunity for additional capture to occur.

Generally, 4G is available in most urban and coastal townships. The extensive Black Spot (black- all

three carriers) is typically in rural and remote road locations. Optus and Vodafone have a strong

presence, however far weaker or more fragmented than the Telstra presence. There are however,

some locations where Telstra does not have a presence and either Optus or Vodafone do. Mackay

Regional Council and Whitsunday ROC are encouraged to seek a facilitated rollout for the region to

improve coverage, capacity and competition.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Map 10: Mackay 4G LTE Black Spots

Sources: Google Earth 2015, Queensland Local Government Areas & DEG interpretation

Note: The 4G testing was not undertaken in all of the areas tested for Voice and 3G. If the same routes had been undertaken

for 4G LTE, extensive areas of 4G Black Spots would be identified.

Table 4: Summary of 4G Black Spots for the Mackay Regional Council Area

4G LTE Signal Strength Coverage Category Klms Percent

White - coverage from all three carriers 40.96 25.66

Black – no signal for Telstra, Optus and Vodafone 50.76 31.79

Orange - Optus and Vodafone have no signal – Telstra has signal 26.78 16.77

Yellow – No Optus signal – Telstra and Vodafone have signal 12.91 8.09

Red - No Vodafone signal – Telstra and Optus have signal 16.34 10.23

Blue – No Telstra signal – Optus and Vodafone have signal 0.13 0.08

Green – Telstra and Optus have no signal – Vodafone has signal 0 0.00

Purple – Telstra and Vodafone have no signal – Optus has signal 11.77 7.37

Total 159.65 100



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


5.3 Network Site Test locations and assessment overview

Network Performance Tests were conducted in 43 locations across the Mackay Regional Council area

in November 2015. The testing methodology (outlined above) replicates a real world user experience.

Whilst the individual site tests do allow for network performance variation, the sample Time Series

Tests below demonstrate that network performance generally remains within a band. As a result,

network performance results are generally within plus or minus one of that score achieved when

repeated over time. The Map below shows the results for Telstra in the Mackay Regional Council area.

To see all three carrier results together refer to Appendix 4.

Map 11: Network Performance Test Locations (using Optus results)

Sources: Google Earth 2015, Local Government Boundaries & DEG interpretation

A table compiling locality, test result, quality assessment and proposed action assessment has been

prepared and can be found below. The selection of the site test locations was predominantly

determined by localities and/or major road junctions or council boundaries.

The overall performance of each of the three carriers is highlighted in seven colour bands to inform

the assessment and proposed priorities for this local government. The colour bands are:



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Rating Description

Extremely Good (11-15) Locations where the user experience is approaching the advertised potential of

the network and their device with very little congestion

Very Good (8-10) Highlights locations with results that stand out for the location and users are

actively using their connection without any delay

Good (5-7) User experience matches expectations. Intensive applications work to a high

standard most of the time

Acceptable (4) Largely consistent with expectations however network congestion or use of

intensive apps will result in noticeable network slow downs

Poor (2-3) Users are constantly considering how to maintain a connection or are unable to

actively use all applications due to network performance issues.

Very Poor (1) Substandard results and typically a ‘dial-up’ speeds for download or upload or

both. User experience will result in little or no viable use of internet.

Network Fail - (0) Network fail due to the download, upload or ping failures. A download may be

achievable but upload cannot be sustained. No functional use of the internet.

Note: The rating for all three results in each carrier is based on the download result only.

Table 5: Network Performance Test Results and Assessment

Ref Location Telstra Optus Vodafone

UL DL PG UL DL PG UL DL PG

1 Alligator Creek- Bruce Hwy/Hay Point Rd 7 9 10 7 8 9 5 7 10

2 Armstrong Beach 7 10 10 7 9 10 7 8 11

3 Beaconsfield 4 8 10 0 0 0 0 0 0

4 Blacks Beach 5 9 10 7 8 10 0 0 0

5 Bloomsbury 5 9 10 3 4 10 6 8 10

6 Bucasia 5 9 10 4 8 10 7 8 8

7 Calen 5 8 10 5 8 10 0 0 0

8 Dolphin Heads-Beach Rd 7 10 10 6 2 10 7 6 11

9 Dolphin Heads- Mango Ave 4 3 8 7 5 10 7 8 10

10 Eimeo 4 8 10 5 6 9 7 8 11

11 Eton 4 8 10 0 0 0 1 1 1

12 Eungella 0 0 0 6 8 10 0 0 0

13 Farleigh 5 6 3 6 8 10 1 5 7

14 Gargett 0 0 0 5 8 10 0 0 0

15 Habana 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

16

Hazledean- Peak Downs Hwy/Mackay-Isaac Council

Boundary

1 9 10 7 8 9 0 0 0

17 Kuttabul-Bruce Hwy/Sorensons Rd 4 5 9 6 9 10 0 0 0

18 Mackay-Bridge Rd/Paradise St 7 10 10 7 9 11 7 7 10

19 Mackay-Gordon St/Milton St 7 9 10 7 10 10 7 9 10

20 Mackay- Shakespeare St/Sydney St 7 10 10 7 9 10 5 6 10

21 Mackay- Victoria St/ Gregory St 7 10 10 7 10 10 7 8 10

22 Mia Mia 5 9 10 0 0 0 0 0 0

23 Midge Point 7 10 10 7 8 10 0 0 0

24 Midgeton 7 9 10 7 6 10 0 0 0

25 Mount Charlton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

26 Mount Ossa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Table 6: Consolidated Network Performance Test Scores Rating/Carrier Telstra Optus Vodafone

Extremely Good (11-15) 0 0 0

Very Good (8-10) 30 24 12

Good (5-7) 4 6 8

Acceptable (4) 1 3 1

Poor (2-3) 2 3 2

Very Poor (1) 0 0 1

Network Fail (0) 6 7 19

Total 43 43 43

Telstra Network Performance test results and action assessment

Telstra performed very well in the Mackay Regional Council area. Out of a total of 43 test locations,

Telstra has only 9 sites that were rated below an ‘acceptable’ level and 4 rated as ‘good’. An impressive

30 out of 43 rated as ‘very good’. Telstra performed best in urban areas with locations such as

Eungella, Gargett, Habana, Mount Ossa and Pinevale, with ‘Network Fail’ results. Eungella and Mount

Ossa are locations which should be prioritised for Telstra coverage. Refer Appendix 4 for Telstra Map

of Network Performance Test results.

Optus Network Performance test results and action assessment

Optus’s results were behind Telstra’s, however doubled those of Vodafone. Optus performed well

with 30 sites above the ‘Good’ level, in urban areas, with the exception of Beaconsfield, and poorer

results in the rural areas. Optus had only 10 locations below the poor level, and locations such as

Beaconsfield and Mount Ossa, should be prioritised. Refer Appendix 4 for Optus Map of Network

Performance Test results.

Ref Location Telstra Optus Vodafone

UL DL PG UL DL PG UL DL PG

27 Mount Ossa- Seaforth Rd 0 0 0 3 6 9 0 0 0

28

Munbura- Sarina-Homebush Rd, 3km North of

Munbura Rd intersection

3 9 10 1 3 9 7 8 9

29 Nindaroo 7 9 6 7 7 10 5 7 10

30 North Mackay- Harbour Rd/ Palmer St 7 7 10 7 9 11 7 8 11

31

O’Connell River-Bruce Hwy/Whitsunday-Mackay

Council Boundary

3 8 10 5 8 9 5 4 8

32 Paget 7 10 10 7 9 10 4 2 9

33 Pinevale- Mia Mia-Pinevale Rd- Welshs Rd 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

34 Rosella 7 9 10 7 8 9 3 5 10

35 Sarina 7 10 10 7 10 10 7 9 10

36 Sarina Beach 7 9 10 5 8 8 6 8 10

37 Seaforth 5 9 10 7 8 10 0 0 0

38 Shoal Point 3 10 10 5 8 3 1 3 7

39 Slade Point Beach 6 9 10 5 3 10 7 8 10

40 St Helens Beach 5 6 8 7 8 10 0 0 0

41 The Leap 5 4 10 1 7 10 0 0 0

42 Walkerston 7 9 10 1 4 8 0 0 0

43 West Mackay 7 10 10 6 4 10 7 7 10



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Vodafone Network Performance test results and action assessment

In the Mackay Regional Council area, Vodafone has the most ‘Network Fail’ results of all three carriers

(19). These sites include predominately rural areas and along the Bruce Highway, Eungella, Mount

Ossa, Seaforth and The Leap. These rural areas should be prioritised, along with urban locations of

Beaconsfield, and Blacks Beach. Vodafone, though far behind Telstra and Optus, did deliver positive

results in locations south of Mackay including Sarina, and Sarina Beach, urban Mackay locations,

Dolphin Heads, Eimeo, Bucasia, Slade Point, Bloomsbury and Midge Point. Vodafone had 12 ‘Very

Good’ sites and 8 ‘Good Sites’. Refer Appendix 4 for Vodafone Map of Network Performance Test

results.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


5.4 Network Performance Time Series Tests

Network Performance tests in a time series serve to amplify the quality of the network over 10

repeated Network Performance tests. Three network characteristics are separately recorded: Ping

(latency or time to connect to the internet and return), download and upload. Refer to Appendix 5 for

complete set of Network Performance Time Series Test graphs. Within the Mackay Regional Council

area these tests were completed at 5 locations:

Mackay City

Sarina Beach

Eungella

St Helens Beach

Rural View

Figure 3: Time Series Test – Mackay City

Source: DEG 2015

In the Mackay City Centre test, Telstra had the fastest download speed of any location across the

Whitsunday ROC region, averaging 35Mbps. In contrast Optus and Vodafone download speeds were

very similar, in the range of 12-18 Mbps. All three had upload speeds of approx. 3Mbps. Many rural

and remote users would love to have network performance like this.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps

Download & Upload Speeds

Telstra Down Telstra Up Vodafone Down

Vodafone Up Optus Down Optus Up



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Figure 4: Time Series Test – Sarina Beach

Source: DEG 2015

At Sarina Beach Telstra again dominated the downloads, but this time ranged from 16Mbps to over

35Mbps. Their uploads were consistent at 3Mbps avg. The Optus and Vodafone networks highlighted

why time series tests are a valuable tool. Vodafone only completed 2 tests out of 10 and those were

only 5Mbps downloads. Optus was similar with 4 failed tests out of 10. Perhaps these results were an

aberration and the network is normally good, but it appears warranted to confirm what the network

performance there is expected to be.

Figure 5: Time Series Test - Eungella

Sources: DEG 2015 Note: Telstra was repeatedly tested at Eungella with equipment restarts and setting updates confirmed before recording this

disappointing result. The network on that day may have been not performing.

Testing at Eungella indicated Optus was the only carrier which had any signal in the area. Both

Vodafone and Telstra did not have a signal and thus there was no test data to report on. Both the

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps




0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps






Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Telstra and Vodafone connections were reset and retested. The average Optus download speed was

7.0Mbps, with an average upload speed of almost 3.0Mbps.

Figure 6: Time Series Test St Helens Beach

Sources: DEG 2015

Optus delivered the fastest download and upload speeds for the St Helens Beach area – averaging 9.0

Mbps and 3.0Mpbs respectively. It is interesting to note that Telstra has the slowest download speeds

averaging 3.0Mbps, with the second slowest upload speeds of the three carriers. Vodafone had the

second fastest download speeds averaging 4.0 Mbps, however their download speed averaged only

1.0Mbps.

Figure 7: Time Series Test – Rural View

Sources: DEG 2015

At Rural View, Telstra displayed the fastest download speeds with an average of 10.0Mbps, as well as

the fastest upload speeds with an average of 3.0Mbps. Vodafone test results indicated similar speeds

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps




0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

14.000

16.000

18.000

20.000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps






Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


with an average download speed of 8.5Mbps and average upload speed of 3.0Mbps. Optus had the

poorest results with an average of only 1.3Mbps upload speed and 2.8Mbps upload speed.

5.5 Network Performance Time Series Test Carrier Comparison

The Network Performance Tests provide an opportunity to compare the performance of each carrier

location by location. Graphs have been prepared for download, upload and ping and can be reviewed

as Appendix 5. The performance of carrier networks is often focussed on the download speed. Below

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone download results highlight the fluctuations of each carrier.

Figure 8: Telstra Time Series Tests

Sources: DEG 2015 Note: Telstra was repeatedly tested at Eungella with equipment restarts and setting updates confirmed before recording this

disappointing result. The network on that day may have been not performing.

The comparison of the 5 Time Series Tests for Mackay reveal two levels of service standard. Mackay

City and Sarina Beach both have stronger connectivity (at around 16-40Mbps) for downloads than the

remaining three who are grouped roughly at 3-18Mbps. As shown, Telstra had no signal for the

Eungella area despite repeated resetting and retesting of this location.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps

Time Series Download Speeds - Telstra

Mackay City Sarina Beach Eungella St Helens Beach Rural View



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Figure 9: Optus Time Series Tests

Source: DEG 2015

The Optus Time Series results are located within three distinct bands. Mackay City having the strongest

result, ranging from 13-16Mbps, while Eungella and St Helens Beach averaged between 5-11Mbps.

The weakest results were recorded in Sarina Beach and Rural View averaging between 0-6Mbps. The

poor results at both these locations suggest network anomalies.

Figure 10: Vodafone Time Series Tests

Sources: DEG 2015

Vodafone’s results in the Mackay Regional Council area fall into three bands. The highest band is

Mackay City at 13-20Mbps. The second, for St Helens Beach and Rural View, averages around 4-

10Mbps and the final ‘band’ is Eungella and Sarina Beach displaying eight or more results as no

network signal and no internet connectivity.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps

Time Series Download Speeds - Optus


0

5

10

15

20

25

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps

Time Series Download Speeds - Vodafone




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


5.6 Top priority locations for the Mackay Regional Council

The Mackay Regional Council priority areas are based on a consolidation of the three testing

methodologies together with anecdotal survey responses. There are two types of focus for Mackay

Regional Council to work with the carriers on:

Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 2 opportunities to remove black spots, and

improving capacity and competition where there is coverage.

The Map below identifies the roads driven with a thin pale blue line. Locations along the driven routes

without any colouring have coverage from all three carriers. To identify mobile coverage Black Spots

(areas where there is no coverage from any of the three carriers) look for the solid black lines. The

thick yellow lines represent where Telstra and Vodafone have coverage but Optus does not. The thick

red lines Telstra and Optus have coverage and Vodafone does not have coverage. The third colour,

orange, represents locations where Optus and Vodafone do not have coverage but Telstra does.

Map 12: Mackay Regional Council Priority Map

Sources: Google Earth 2015,

Queensland Local Government

Areas & DEG interpretation



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


The Mackay Regional Council mobile coverage and capacity priorities (draft) are:

Priority 1 – Kuttabul

This Bruce Highway location was identified by DEG as a result

of the testing. Although small in area, additional testing in the

area is likely to expose the full extent across the surrounding

agricultural areas.

Despite a small population base, the location on the Bruce

Highway and strong agricultural area, is one of the few

remaining three carrier Black Spots in the Mackay Regional

Council area and warrants a detailed evaluation for the


Note: Additional testing required to confirm extent of this

Black Spot

Added to the National Mobile Black Spot register

Priority 2 – Pinevale

This location was nominated as a known Black Spot. Detailed

testing has confirmed the absence of coverage for all three

carriers.

Despite a small population base, this strong agricultural area

is one of the few remaining three carrier Black Spots in the

Mackay Regional Council area and warrants a detailed

evaluation for the Mobile Black Spot Funding Round 2.

Priority 3 – Mount Charlton

This location was identified by DEG as a Black Spot area.

Detailed testing has confirmed the absence of coverage for

all three carriers.





Priority 4 – Mount Ossa

This location was identified by DEG as a potential Black Spot

area. Detailed testing has confirmed patches of three carrier

Black Spots. Where there is coverage, it is typically very weak.

Some users will experience significant dropouts here.







Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Priority 5 – Gargett

This location is a Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 1

funded site. DEG have included in the draft report to seek

confirmation from Telstra that the Round 1 site, when

operational, will resolve the full extent of the area identified

as a Black Spot. If yes, it can be removed as a priority. If the

answer is no, the need for a second site will need to be

evaluated for Round 2 consideration.

Priority 6 - Eungella

The Network Performance Test results for Telstra and

Vodafone at Eungella failed to generate acceptable

connections to the internet.

Despite several resets and reconnections of the phones no

viable connection could be established.

Advocacy with Telstra and Vodafone is recommended here.

Priority 7 Sarina Range - Sarina-Marlborough Rd

Testing by DEG of the Sarina-Marlborough Rd across the

Sarina Range in mid-2013 identified this as a Black Spot. A

desktop review of current coverage maps from each of the

three carriers confirms the area is still a pervasive blackspot.

Priority 8 - Middle Creek Dam – West of Sarina

This location is a Council facility (Water reservoir) and small

residential area.

A desktop review of this site confirms that none of the

carriers have coverage here sufficient for reliable services.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Additional sites warranting additional evaluation and or advocacy with carriers:

Midge Point

Telstra have 4G LTE at Midge Point but not Optus and

Vodafone.

Advocacy with Optus and Vodafone is recommended.

St Helens Beach

Telstra have strong 4G LTE at St Helens Beach. Optus is

present but the signals are not strong and consistent.

Advocacy with Vodafone for 4G LTE is recommended.

The DEG report forms the initial basis for effectively seeking to reduce Black Spots and progress to a

higher standard of communications coverage.

Whitsunday ROC and Mackay Regional Council will now need to continue building the partnership

with the carriers based on knowledge of their networks and an insight into carrier’s intent to deliver

a high standard where it is commercially viable. A key part of building the partnership with carriers is

to demonstrate a willingness to encourage the uptake of services on the network by providing a good

communications program. When developed in consultation with the carriers, independent of

individual carriers, business and community can identify ways to use mobile networks to achieve

productivity benefits for their business. This helps carriers to achieve greater viability for investment.

The Whitsunday ROC and the Mackay Regional Council has the potential to influence the carrier

investment programs, achieve better services for the region and move to the right side of the digital

divide. The best way to do this is by using this baseline report and continuing the facilitation of mobile

communications coverage and good partnerships.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


6 Conclusion

Having the mobile broadband Black Spots independently tested and mapped is the first step towards

improving the mobile broadband basis for a strong digital economy. In the same way that local

governments know, understand, and seek funding for priority infrastructure in their area, carrier

network infrastructure is also critical.

The difference with mobile digital infrastructure to traditional council infrastructure is that it is

privately owned. The primary tactic for facilitating increased investment is knowledge of the network,

its performance and choosing priority locations (in partnership with the carriers.)

Carriers look to councils for two key types of support:

The first and most important is facilitation through the approvals process. Councils need to

see the investment in new mobile sites (upwards of $800,000 per site) in the same way that a

development application delivering new employment or business growth gets support. The

recent studies by Ericson and 7Chalmers University demonstrating that doubling broadband

speeds increased the GDP by 0.3% needs to be considered

The second is the support where leases are required for use of council owned or controlled

land. Often legal firms acting for councils or councils own representatives do not seek to

facilitate the timely completion of a standard legal agreement. Each protracted completion or

delay creates a reputation profile for the local government.

Carriers enter into a more productive dialogue when a local government or Regional Organisation of

Councils has independently tested Black Spot mapping and have a strong knowledge of the digital

infrastructure of the area. Carriers ultimately have a large number of sites in various locations and

jurisdictions. Locations where approvals and leases are completed easily will have networks

established faster and sooner.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 1: AT&T Drive Studio and Ericsson Release Global Study on Connected Car Buyers

Three out of every four consumers said they consider connected car services an important feature in their next car

purchase, according to a new AT&T Drive Studio and Ericsson study documenting the significant influence that

connected car features and services are expected to have on customers' vehicle purchase decisions in the future.

This is the second year for the study which focused on connected car awareness, feature preferences and purchase

drivers. The data was sourced from customers likely to buy a car in the next three years in the United States, Germany,

Brazil, Mexico and China and the survey was conducted in July 2015.

The term “connected car,” as defined in the study, is a car equipped with a wireless internet connection. This allows the

car to run applications such as streaming music services and internet radio, use navigation services with real-time traffic

updates, conduct local searches, use restaurant services and more, all from the car’s dashboard. This connectivity also

allows the car to operate as a Wi-Fi hotspot, sharing a wireless internet connection with other devices in the car.

The study found:

• 62% percent of US survey respondents are aware of the term “connected car.”

• The Wi-Fi hotspot ranked as the No. 1 feature that US customers are willing to purchase for their car.

• Almost 75% of those surveyed globally, after learning about connected car services, consider them an important feature

in their next car.

• 78% of car buyers globally would delay a purchase by one year to buy a car with connected car services from their

preferred brand.

• When priced, US consumers prefer to add their connected car wireless connectivity to a shared data plan.

“This study confirms that drivers today are tech savvy and value services that improve their driving experience,” said

Chris Penrose, senior vice president, Internet of Things, AT&T Mobility. “It’s great to see that more drivers understand

what a connected car enables them to do. With this increased awareness, we believe you’ll see adoption of integrated

wireless connectivity in the car continue to take off.”

Ericsson is a contributor to the AT&T Drive platform, providing a cloud-based platform on which automakers can choose

to run their entire, customized connected car experience in a secure manner. Material from the research report is

available to automakers through the AT&T Drive Studio.

Source: http://about.att.com/mediakit/connectedcar



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 2: Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 1 Successful Sites

Source: http://nationalmap.gov.au/ - Layer: mobile-black-spot-programme:database-group,

Google Earth 2015, Queensland Local Government Boundaries & DEG interpretation.

Source: Date: 5 December 2015



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 3: Current Carrier Infrastructure

The following three Maps show the current (as at 30 October 2015) infrastructure providing local

access services for mobile phone and mobile internet.

Source: ACMA Radio Frequency Licences - Telstra - as at 30 October 2015, Google Earth 2015,

Queensland Local Government Boundaries & DEG interpretation.



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Source: ACMA Radio Frequency Licences - Optus - as at 30 October 2015, Google Earth 2015,




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Source: ACMA Radio Frequency Licences - Vodafone - as at 30 October 2015, Google Earth 2015,




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 4: Network Performance Test Results by Carrier

Maps showing the location and high-level indication of mobile internet coverage and Black Spots for

all three national carriers. A table showing individual results can be seen in the report above.

Network Performance Test Locations - Telstra




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Network Performance Test Locations - Optus




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Network Performance Test Locations - Vodafone




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 5: Network Performance Time Series Test Graphs

Three Carrier Comparison – Downloads, Uploads and Ping together with results for each of the

locations tested.

3 Carrier Comparison – Download Speeds

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Telstra Mackay Download Speeds

Mackay Sarina Beach Rural View St Helens Beach Eungella

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Optus Mackay Download Speeds


0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vodafone Mackay Download Speeds

Mackay Sarina Beach Rural View

St Helens Beach Eungella



Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


3 Carrier Comparison – Upload Speeds

3 Carrier Comparison – Ping/Latency Speeds

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Telstra Mackay Upload Speeds


0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Optus Mackay Upload Speeds



0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vodafone Mackay Upload Speeds





Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


0

50

100

150

200

250

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Telstra Mackay Ping Results


0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Optus Mackay Ping Results


0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Vodafone Mackay Ping Results




Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Carrier Comparison – Download and Upload all Locations Tested

Mackay City

Sarina Beach

Eungella

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps




0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps




0

2

4

6

8

10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps






Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


St Helens Beach

Rural View

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps




0.000

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

12.000

14.000

16.000

18.000

20.000

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mbps






Assessment


ABN 48 153 285 191


Appendix 6: Terms and Abbreviations

Term/Abbreviation Definition

2G & 3G 2G When a call is made on 2G, a line is held open for the user’s conversation throughout the

duration of the call.

3G, or third generation networks, operate in a different way to 2G networks.

With 3G networks, the data sent across them is divided up into little ‘data packets’ which are

reassembled in the correct order at the receiving end. This smart encoding means more data

can be sent and it is sent more efficiently. In addition, 3G handsets can be in contact with more

than one base station at a time and this provides improved performances in voice quality and

data rates. Some people call 3G “mobile broadband” because the evolution is similar to the

difference between dial up internet and the always available broadband internet services.

http://www.emfexplained.info/?Page=25196

4G LTE Long Term Evolution is the next major enhancement to mobile radio communications

networks. 4G (LTE) is a standard that is part of the evolution of 3G, which incorporates

significantly increased data rates (up to 100Mb/s) and better performance to enhance the

mobile broadband experience.

4G (LTE), like all other radio communications standards, is based on the use of radio waves or

radio frequency (RF) energy to transmit and receive voice and data calls. Source: http://www.emfexplained.info/?ID=25526

ACMA ACMA – Australian Communications Media Authority

dB Decibel (a unit for power measurement) used here to quantify the ratio between values of raw

signals and a meaningful set of numbers. The Voice & 3G test uses a value range of 0-31. 0 is

extremely poor through to 31 – top of the range.

DEG Digital Economy Group PL

nbn The government business enterprise established by the Australian Government to deliver the

NBN

NBN National Broadband Network

Mbps Megabit per second – The most common measurement of internet data transfer

IoT The IoT links smart objects to the Internet. It can enable an exchange of data never available

before, and bring users information in a more secure way. Cisco estimates the IoT will consist

of 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020. Gain deeper insight with analytics using

our IoT System to enhance productivity, create new business models, and generate new

revenue streams.

Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/solutions/trends/iot/overview.html

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Mobile Phone and Device Black Spots Connectivity Assessment

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