On Thursday, September 3 improved reception moved a step closer for hundreds, with the installation of a Telstra tower on Tarragon Rd.
It’s the start of a solution to a problem that emerges every tourist season, with the area’s population doubling in a matter of days, overwhelming the mobile network.
But Picnic Point local Norm Berger is annoyed with the timing, being told by the crews installing the tower that they did not expect it to be operational until January.
“(The workers) have finished their part,” Mr Berger said.
“They could have had (the tower) going within a week, but the people that control the power wires and towers haven’t signed off on connecting the tower to energy infrastructure.”
The process of connecting the tower will take a matter of hours, according to Mr Berger, with delays solely stemming from the approval process.
“The Melbourne Cup weekend is the unofficial opening of the Murray,” he said.
“(With the increased mobile traffic), if somebody got sick or passed away in Melbourne, and they try and ring someone up here, they won’t be able to get through.”
While the tower could be operational as soon as the end of October, Mr Berger and his neighbours are preparing for another frustrating summer of landlines and looking for single bars of service.
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