Tamworth CBD residents, businesses and visitors could experience temporary Telstra mobile disruptions for more than two weeks as essential maintenance gets underway.
Telstra will begin work on a mobile site servicing parts of the CBD on October 7, with maintenance expected to continue for 17 days.
The site will need to be switched off for short periods during the work, reducing Telstra mobile coverage in parts of the city centre.
Customers will receive an SMS advising them of the upcoming maintenance.
The disruptions could particularly affect people who rely on the Telstra mobile network for medical and personal safety devices, including fall detection systems, in-room monitors, alarm pendants and health monitoring devices.
Those customers are being encouraged to contact their service provider or device manufacturer to determine whether their equipment could be affected and whether alternative connections, such as Wi-Fi, are available.
CBD businesses using EFTPOS terminals connected to the Telstra mobile network should also check whether their terminals can operate through NBN or Wi-Fi to avoid payment disruptions.
Telstra customers with compatible phones can use Wi-Fi Calling to continue making and receiving calls while connected to Wi-Fi.
The work will not affect NBN, satellite internet or PSTN landline services, or mobile coverage from other providers.
If the Telstra mobile network is unavailable, compatible phones will automatically attempt to connect Triple Zero (000) calls through another available mobile network using emergency “camp on”.
“If your first attempt doesn’t connect within around five seconds, hang up and try again immediately. On subsequent attempts, stay on the line for up to 60 seconds to give your phone the best chance to access another available network and connect your call.”
Telstra said the timing and impact of the maintenance could change due to factors outside its control.
Customers can check Telstra’s outage website for updates while the work is underway.
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