Simpson and Sat Phones
Submitted: Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 18:24
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dad1340
Just home from a
Oodnadatta, Simpson,
Karumba,
Cooktown trip and hired a Iridium Sat phone from 'Norm' from this
forum.
We could not afford a decent Sat Phone but recognised the need for one in remote
places.
We thought it was cheap but essential insurance.
I may as
well have thrown iPhone 6 plus out the window when it come to coverage everywhere except in some
places (as we all know)
The kids went off in a panic after coverage was lost from Wilpena Pond to
Birdsville via the Simpson and big patches to
Karumba, East Coast etc.
We made a call to
Birdsville Pub to say we were coming in early due to a huge low pressure blackness heading east towards us. Too easy.
Thanks Norm
Cheers
dad
Reply By: Member - mechpete - Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 18:39
Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 18:39
Did you serioubsly think there might be mobile coverage outside most towns .there ls mbl service in birdsvle
Cheers mechpete
AnswerID:
602916
Follow Up By: Zippo - Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 21:11
Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 21:11
Yes,
Birdsville has both Telstra and Optus. Then as you travel down the BV Track to
Marree and up the Ood Track towards
Marla, you experience the vast cellphone emptiness of outback Oz. (Trevor Wright is always keen to remind media and politicians about this at every opportunity).
Marla has Telstra, ending the drought for Telstra users. However - and contrary to what one might expect -
Oodnadatta has Optus but no Telstra. Must be one of the few, if not the only, towns where that happens.
Pays to carry both (as
well as the satphone).
FollowupID:
872550
Follow Up By: TomH - Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 21:52
Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 21:52
Until a year or so ago
Birdsville only had Optus also
FollowupID:
872555
Follow Up By: dad1340 - Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 23:03
Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 23:03
No Mechpete, a touch of tongue in cheek there but then Telstra is there for the shareholders not all Australians, particularly in the bush.
We have black spots around
Newcastle the second biggest city in NSW
Cheers
dad
FollowupID:
872557
Follow Up By: Member - Michael P (QLD) - Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 23:07
Friday, Jul 29, 2016 at 23:07
Hey! I am 11 klm from the
Brisbane GPO & Do not get mobile coverage. Yes I am with Telstra & have tried the others. If I sit on the Electricity box at the footpath I can get one bar.
Look I really really like
Birdsville but don't think that I'll move there to get mobile coverage.
That aside do think carrying sat phone when travelling remote is pretty cheap insurance.
Mike.
FollowupID:
872558
Reply By: aussiedingo (River Rina) - Saturday, Jul 30, 2016 at 11:24
Saturday, Jul 30, 2016 at 11:24
Thanks "dad" glad I could help!
AnswerID:
602946
Reply By: LAZYLUX16 - Saturday, Jul 30, 2016 at 22:52
Saturday, Jul 30, 2016 at 22:52
Australia is a joke in telecommunications! My friend lives in a small village in middle of nowhere in Thailand and he can call me via internet for free and sounds like he is the room with me .Profits in Australia come before people! My friend has NBN and its worse than his old internet! Just my 2cents worth !
AnswerID:
602970
Follow Up By: dad1340 - Sunday, Jul 31, 2016 at 02:43
Sunday, Jul 31, 2016 at 02:43
Well the joke is on us LazyLux, talking to people on the
Oodnadatta only as an example and Turnbulls name is mud re the lack of NBN for what that's worth.
Sat phones and Repeater Stations are about it for most of the bush. The "bush" being defined as anywhere away from
population profit centres.
Privatisation/Globalisation is killing us as we move from selling off our Ports, food and grazing lands to foreign interests; not to mention the destruction of our steel and manufacturing industries and replacing them with capital intensive mining and coal seam gas, none of which are Australian owned.
(see comments from the head of the ACCC recently)
Like the railways, communications, schools and hospitals they all should be a government responsibility to provide
services to the people (as they were)
Political comment? you betcha !
Cheers
dad
FollowupID:
872600