General News
16 April, 2026
Coverage boost coming to Noorat, Dixie
TELSTRA has announced Noorat and Dixie will soon benefit from enhanced mobile coverage.
The telecommunications giant last week announced a long-awaited solution for a new mobile tower at Noorat to address issues with mobile coverage in the village and surrounds.
As Western District Newspapers has previously reported, the company had sought to locate the tower at the Telstra exchange, beside the Presbyterian Church, after unexpected cost increases halted plans to locate the tower on Mount Noorat.
The move drew opposition from both the community and Corangamite Shire Council.
Telstra regional engagement manager Marcus Swinburne said an opportunity had recently emerged with the availability of privately-owned infrastructure at Mount Noorat, which Telstra will use to install the mobile equipment on the infrastructure.
The project received $708,300 under the Albanese Labor Government’s Regional Connectivity Program in August 2024 in addition to funding from the Victorian Government.
The project also received funding from the Victorian Government and Telstra, which was not disclosed as it is under commercial agreement – however, Western District Newspapers understands Telstra will carry the ongoing operational costs.
“Our local Telstra team have been long committed to improving mobile coverage for the residents of Noorat and we are pleased to advise that, after a lot of planning and consideration of alternate options, we are now able to move forward with this project,” Mr Swinburne said.
The new Mount Noorat site will use microwave backhaul, which offers the same capacity as fibre.
Western District Newspapers understands the use of microwave backhaul as opposed to the preferred fibre has been agreed to with both Victorian and Australian Government departments to deliver the new site within the contracted timeframe and meet contracted funding requirements.
The speeds and coverage will not be impacted as coverage is provided by the antennas which will be deployed, and speeds are determined by a number of technical factors which are not impacted by the use of microwave backhaul.
“We know the importance of mobile connectivity which is why we have pursued a number of alternate options for delivering mobile improvements for the area and we are pleased to be able to forward with this much anticipated tower” Mr Swinburne said.
Subject to any unexpected delays, Telstra is working towards delivering the new mobile site before the end of the 2026 financial year, providing improved mobile connectivity for the Noorat community.
Telstra will be also be upgrading its mobile base station which services Dixie to bring a better 4G and 5G user experience.
The upgrades will improve the mobile site’s capacity, meaning faster downloads, smoother streaming and less congestion.
Mobile services in the area will be temporarily affected while the upgrade works are underway, with the site being switched off on Monday (April 13) while works are expected to finish today (Thursday, April 16).
“We know how important mobile connectivity is for Australians, whether you’re in the city or the country,” Mr Swinburne said.
“As data use over our mobile network continues to grow, adding extra 4G and 5G capacity to our mobile site in the area will help deliver faster downloads, smoother streaming and less congestion for customers.
“While disruption is required while the upgrade is underway, we’ll only be switching off the site when we need to and will have it back online and working better than ever as quickly as possible.”