Telstra is currently investigating infrastructure upgrades to mobile and Wi-Fi services along the Newcastle & Central Coast line rail corridor in NSW as part of a $13.2 Million contract signed with Sydney Trains late last year.
The contract is to provide improved mobile and Wi-Fi coverage for train commuters along the 60km stretch of rail which starts at Central in Sydney’s CBD to Newcastle Interchange at the former Wickham Station. The deal comes two and a half years after the Federal Government first promised $12 million funding towards the upgrade of mobile coverage and was then matched with $4 million from the NSW Government.
A Sydney Trains spokesperson stated to ITNews that the signed contract will see Telstra “investigate improving mobile coverage in the rail corridor and Wi-Fi on station platforms along the Central Coast” until April 2020.
The contract includes identifying the infrastructure required to support the eradication of blackspots between Hornsby and Wyong
However, this is contrary to the contract which clearly states that the telco will “improve the in-train mobile coverage in the rail corridor and Wi-Fi on station platforms on the Central Coast”.
With mobile reception on this line either very patchy, slow or non-existent, as an occasional traveller on this line, any upgrades would be very much welcomed by both regular, occasional and one off commuters using this growing train line.
So basically the contract is to funnel money to Telstra and the condition is they try and improve the service but no guarantees.
Why not just send data over the power line or other to connect the train and add access points in the carriages.
Hopefully they’d do the same on the Illawarra and South Coast Lines as well. Lots of black spots between Thirroul and Waterfall, and around Como and Oatley.