South West Victoria's Mobile Network Is Getting a Major Upgrade
New mobile towers, expanded 5G coverage and stronger network resilience are on the way for Warrnambool and surrounding communities.
If you've experienced patchy mobile reception around Warrnambool, some welcome improvements are on the way.
A significant wave of mobile infrastructure investment is rolling out across the region through the Victorian Government's Connecting Victoria program and telecommunications partners including Optus and Telstra.
The result should be better mobile capacity, faster data and more reliable connections for households, businesses and essential services across the region.
Three New Towers and Eight Upgraded to 5G
Warrnambool is part of a broader project to construct three new mobile towers and upgrade eight existing towers to 5G.
The project covers 14 suburbs across approximately 285 square kilometres, including Allansford, Dennington and Warrnambool itself. It is expected to improve mobile capacity and speeds for more than 25,000 premises.
New infrastructure in areas where additional coverage and capacity are needed.
Existing sites upgraded to support faster mobile data and increased network demand.
Improved capacity for homes, businesses and important community facilities.
Coverage improvements have been targeted at high-traffic and high-need locations, including Warrnambool Base Hospital and the Deakin University Warrnambool Campus.
Three towers within the project are also being upgraded for additional resilience, helping them remain operational during emergencies such as bushfires, floods and other natural disasters.
The rollout is being delivered over several years, with the broader aim of supporting tourism, local business growth and stronger regional connectivity.
A New Tower for Northpoint
Closer to home, Optus has lodged plans for a new mobile tower behind Northpoint Shopping Centre near Mortlake Road.
The proposed development includes a 30-metre tower carrying both 4G and 5G services. The reported project value is approximately $260,000.
The location has been identified because there is currently no Optus mobile facility within roughly one kilometre of the area. Once completed, the tower is expected to support the shopping centre, nearby businesses, the surrounding activity centre and neighbouring residential streets.
Why the Northpoint site matters
New housing, retail activity and increasing mobile usage can place significant pressure on existing towers. A local 4G and 5G site should improve both coverage and available network capacity across the surrounding area.
The Bigger Picture
Warrnambool's projects form part of the Victorian Government's wider $550 million Connecting Victoria program.
The program is delivering or upgrading more than 1,300 mobile and broadband sites across Victoria, with over 900 located in regional areas.
More than 850 projects have already been completed statewide, representing over two-thirds of the overall program.
By completion, the program is expected to deliver:
- 309 new mobile towers
- 492 towers upgraded to 5G
- 170 towers opened for shared use between providers
- 137 towers upgraded for improved disaster resilience
What It Means for You
For households
Fewer dropouts, faster mobile data and more consistent coverage around homes, roads and local activity areas.
For local businesses
More reliable EFTPOS, stronger mobile broadband backup options and improved connectivity for staff working away from the office.
For emergency communications
More resilient mobile infrastructure improves the chances of communities staying connected during fires, floods and outages.
For future growth
Increased 5G capacity will help support more connected devices, cloud services, remote work and mobile applications.
These projects will not eliminate every mobile coverage gap overnight, and individual results will still vary by provider, device, terrain and building construction.
Even so, the investment represents a meaningful step forward for mobile connectivity across Warrnambool and South West Victoria.
Need Better Mobile Coverage for Your Business?
WTCO can help review your mobile services, coverage options and mobile broadband backup requirements across South West Victoria.
Call WTCO on 1300 765 985Sources
Victorian Government — Warrnambool's Mobile Sea Change and Connecting Victoria; The Standard — Optus Northpoint tower reporting; Critical Comms — Connecting Victoria program update.
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