After a fiery accusation from Vodafone last week alleging Telstra has been misleading Australians about the true size of its mobile network, Telstra has responded—firmly standing its ground.
Vodafone claimed that Telstra’s long-standing assertion that its mobile network covers 99.7% of the Australian population and three million square kilometres was misleading.
Their main gripe? That these figures relied on the use of external antennas, something most everyday users don’t typically use. According to Vodafone, without the antennas, Telstra’s actual usable coverage footprint is significantly smaller.
Telstra, in response, took what it’s calling a “deep review” of its mobile coverage data. And after taking that internal microscope to its numbers, it’s not backing down.
Telstra Executive for Technology Engagement Advancement Channa Seneviratne said,” While Telstra initially updated its website to clarify the 99.7% figure factored in the use of external antennas.
“When Vodafone raised concerns about our coverage claims, we took the time to complete a deep assessment of our coverage measurement data,” said Seneviratne
“We thought it was best in the meantime to take a conservative approach and refer to an external antenna recommendation in our coverage claims.”
“We remain confident that our three million square kilometres of coverage to 99.7% of the Australian population coverage claims are correct, and does not rely on external antenna use.” he said.
In a blog post, Seneviratne detailed how Telstra tests mobile coverage, which includes a combination of drive testing and desktop modelling.
“To work out our overall coverage footprint, we set a minimum dBm level that’s needed to maintain a good quality voice call. If the predicted signal strength is below this level, we exclude this area from our coverage footprint,” said Seneviratne.
Seneviratne said that there is no industry standard for the way coverage is measured today but says Telstra will advocate for a consistent approach.
Vodafone has called on the ACCC to investigate Telstra’s coverage claims, and consumer advocacy group ACCAN said it was deeply concerned by the allegations.
