TRACEY BENDINGER | Culture | Contact

A recent survey carried out by a Betoota tech and communications agency, TechComm, has revealed some staggering results around phone coverage in the Diamantina region.

For the majority of Betootanese parents, a weekly phone call with their children living interstate is the only chance they get to touch base.

However, as the survey reveals, 80% of these conversations are spent asking each other if they can hear them.

The Advocate managed to secure a transcript of one such conversation, which, according to TechComm is how the majority of phone calls play out.

“Yeah, mum, can you hear me?”

“Yes darling, how are you?”

“Mum, are you there?”

“Oh, sorry darling, I’ve lost you”

“Oh nah, mum, I can hear you now. How are you?”

“What was that? You cut out”

“I said, how are you?”

“Good darling, and how are things in Sydney?”

“Mum? Fucking hell, I’m so sick of this shit! I’ll email you.”

This conversation is all too familiar for Betootans, and while Telstra insists it’s doing its best to fix coverage in rural areas, the reality speaks for itself.

Last month a new Telstra tower was installed on the outskirts of Betoota, however, it’s believed, to save costs Telstra installed the tower at the bottom of a hill, so it’s made next to no difference.

Locals near the new tower are ropable, according to them there were several other tower locations picked out, but Telstra selfishly opted for the cheapest one.

The Advocate reached out to some locals, but we were unable to get through – likely because there was no phone reception.

More to come.





