Telstra users were this week notified that service issues could arise as Telstra begins upgrading to 5G in Mudgee this week.
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'Telstra is upgrading its mobile network around Mudgee with work to take place over 6 days commencing 08/04/2021. Your mobile service may be impacted at various times during this period.' The notice read.
A notice published in the Friday, January 21 edition of the Mudgee Guardian by Telstra revealed plans to upgrade one of its Mudgee towers with 5G.
The tower in question, located at 37 Nicholson Street - which is visible from the Pines - would be modified slightly - if the proposal goes through - to include the antennas that support the broadcast of 5G spectrum.
It is unknown when the work would take place but residents are encouraged to provide feedback about the proposal to Telstra. The details of which can be found in the image above.
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More 5G coming
Mike Marom, Regional General Manager for Telstra in NSW said Mudgee's other towers are also earmarked for upgrade.
"There are three mobile base stations that currently provide Telstra 3G and 4G mobile coverage to Mudgee," he said. "These three sites are planned to be upgraded to include Telstra 5G in April this year."
The upgrade work is extensive and as a result, Telstra said it will be required to temporarily shut down each site for periods of time during the day, for several days. Mr Marom said the work will cause some minor coverage issues while the work is carried out.
"Residents near the tower being upgraded may notice a temporary decline in service while works are underway. However, to ensure there remains mobile coverage in Mudgee, the tower upgrades will occur one at a time."
"Potentially impacted customers should receive a text notification from Telstra a few days prior to works commencing advising their service may be interrupted.
"We know there's never a perfect time to schedule upgrade work but the end result will see not only residents being able to connect to 5G, but will also see an improvement in 4G coverage as well."
EFTPOS issues
Telstra said some businesses may notice an impact to their EFTPOS terminals if those terminals use Telstra's 3G or 4G network for connectivity. Telstra does not operate the EFTPOS network, it is operated by financial institutions.
"While some EFTPOS terminals use 3G and 4G connectivity, many EFTPOS terminals can also utilise fixed line/Wi-Fi/nbn internet connections which won't be impacted," Mr Marom said.
"Retailers should contact their bank for more information and details on how to switch between these methods to ensure they aren't impacted during this upgrade."
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