Over 30 mobile hotspots have been developed by an Aboriginal organisation based in Alice Springs, using appropriate technology to provide Indigenous people in remote areas better access to services.
The hotspots, known as mobile signal amplifiers, are to be set up in remote locations in Central Australia.
The Centre of Appropriate Technology (CAT) has been granted over half a million dollars from government funding for the manufacturing and installation of 32 hotspots set for locations where there is little or no mobile phone coverage.
$360,000 has been allocated by the Northern Territory Government for 22 of the hotspots. The remaining 10 hotspots are funded by a grant amounting to $185,000 from the federally-administered ABA (Aboriginals Benefit Account).
The satellite makes use of a satellite dish to boost the signal from mobile phone towers nearby. It was successful in trials held in two locations near the remote community of Hermannsburg – about 130kms south-west of Alice Springs.
Senior telecommunications engineer of CAT, Andrew Crouch, said the satellite dish points to the nearest mobile tower as opposed to the sky. As a signal amplifier, it can make signals more reliable for users of the hotspot.
The unit does not have moving parts or electronics and does not require power to run.
Mr. Crouch said the design follows CAT’s general philosophy where things are kept simple, robust, and appropriate for outback use.
He also said that compared to getting a full mobile tower for roughly $800,000, theirs is pretty cheap.
Although exact locations for the hotspots have yet to be determined, it will likely include Aboriginal communities and outstations, together with tourist attractions and overnight roadside areas along the Stuart Highway from the South Australian border to Tennant Creek.
The objective, Mr. Crouch said, is to narrow the gaps in coverage that are present at the moment – some of them reaching as much as 200kms.
The hotspot project will provide jobs for CAT’s indigenous staff where they will be involved in the fabrication and installation, as well as the initial surveying of the units.
Aboriginal people residing close to the chosen locations of the 10 hotspots will be temporarily employed to aid with the installation.