Vodafone flags tripling of WA coverage, increased regional competition as switch flicked on network deal

City slicker Vodafone says its WA mobile coverage area is almost tripling on Thursday as it flicks the switch on a regional infrastructure sharing deal with Optus. Poking its new spectrum and regional towers partner, Vodafone claims it will be able to shake up what it describes as a duopoly between Optus and the dominant Australian mobile provider Telstra. Vodafone has long struggled in Australia because of its relatively poor or non-existent coverage outside of major cities and big towns, making it unattractive even for city people who holiday or work in the bush. Vodafone says the deal signed with Optus last year will increase its mobile coverage in WA from about 42,000sqkm to 118,000sqkm, with claimed WA population coverage rising from 94.9 per cent to above 97 per cent. Its national coverage will more than double to 1 million square kilometres thanks to the $1.6 billion, 11-year deal between Optus and ASX-listed TPG, the owner of the Vodafone mobile operations in Australia. Vodafone was set up in Australia by the UK telco giant Vodafone Group in the early 1990s, but struggled with under-investment. The Australian operation was involved in a series of mergers and takeovers that eventually created TPG. The UK-listed Vodafone Group remains a major shareholder in TPG. Celebrating the big regional expansion, Vodafone executive Kieren Cooney said the “days of having limited mobile choice in the bush are over”. “We believe this is the biggest boost to mobile competition in 30 years,” Mr Cooney said. “We are supercharging our network so Australians can get better coverage where they need it.” Vodafone says the number of its transmission sites in the northern part of the Wheatbelt is increasing from 12 to 66, doubling its coverage from just under half of the population to more than 83 per cent. Vodafone sites in the southern Wheatbelt will increase from five to 23 through its Optus sharing deal, the company says, increasing coverage from 47 per cent of the population to 71 per cent.