OPTUS SOLAR POWER BASE STATION GREENS ELPHINSTONE

Cable & Wireless Optus has built its first solar powered base station in Elphinstone Victoria, delivering increased mobile coverage to local residents while at the same time helping to protect the environment.

Keir Preedy, Director Mobile Network Systems, said that Optus was always looking for innovative ways to provide better mobile coverage in hard to reach locations.

"To have connected this site to the regular power supply would have required running a power line through a state forest. By using solar power we are minimising the site's impact on the local ecology.

"Before building the solar powered base station, we worked with the community and council to locate a site which was technically adequate, as well as suitable for local residents.

The new base station will provide more sustained mobile coverage on the Pyrenees Highway between Elphinstone and Castlemaine, and fill some known coverage black spots on the Calder Highway south of Elphinstone.

"We are constantly increasing our coverage and capacity in order to deliver better call quality to our customers," Mr Preedy said.

"This new solar base station at Elphinstone is one of 500 new sites we have added this financial year to extend our customer reach and service."

The Optus Mobile Network now reaches over 94 per cent of the Australian population. That means that over 17.8 million Australians now live in areas where they could use the Optus world-class network.

Optus was awarded the Mobility Magazine's 'Network of the Year' award in 1999 and the Australian Telecom Magazine, Mobile Carrier of the Year award in 2000.

For more information contact:
Louise Ingram
Cable & Wireless Optus
Tel: 02 9342 5042