Telstra CEO visit to Goondiwindi

Published on 17 March 2026

Telstra CEO and Managing Director Vicki Brady visited Goondiwindi yesterday, after Goondiwindi Regional Council invited her to experience firsthand the ongoing sub-optimal state of local mobile services.

Mayor of the Goondiwindi Region, the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM, said the visit allowed the Telstra CEO to experience firsthand the frustratingly inferior service our region has experienced since the 3G switch-off in 2024.

“Despite Telstra’s commitment that no customer would be worse off following the switch-off, many in our region have reported a significant drop in coverage and continue to report that their mobile service is not comparable to before,” Cr Springborg said.

“I appreciate that Ms Brady, along with senior executive and technical team members, visited yesterday to experience the service levels in our region,” the Mayor said. “It does not take long to leave town before encountering patchy service, which often drops out completely, even along major national highways.”

Council has monitored Telstra’s real-time network coverage map to compare it with actual on-the-ground experiences. “Looking at the coverage map, it simply doesn’t reflect the lived reality of local residents,” Cr Springborg said. “Especially since the coverage level that residents had come to rely on dropped so significantly immediately following the 3G switch-off.

While the Telstra coverage map is ‘a guide, not a guarantee’, Cr Springborg argues that the reported coverage levels consistently do not accurately reflect reality and likely demonstrates that senior Telstra executive are not being provided with accurate information.

“I understand Telstra upgraded a mobile base station servicing Yelarbon in November last year to improve 4G and 5G. However, local feedback indicates this did not restore service to pre-switch-off levels.

“Council is grateful for the CEO and team visit, and it does show a level of genuine interest and a desire to work with Council and our community to address them at a higher level. Discussions also covered concerns about limitations in emergency messaging in a region that can experience floods, severe storms, and bushfires. Along with the impact on business and the community, they incur increased costs from signing up with multiple telecommunications providers and investing in different technologies in an attempt to find workarounds for a service they used to be able to access under a single 3G mobile plan.

“The Telstra CEO’s visit is a welcome undertaking, and Council will be monitoring closely potential improvements and outcomes,” said the Mayor.

The Goondiwindi Chamber of Commerce also provided the Telstra CEO with data from its recent survey, showing that unreliable mobile coverage is resulting in lost productivity, reduced operational efficiency for businesses and farms, extra expenses from workaround solutions, and a growing divide between industry requirements and network performance.

“I thank the Chamber for its advocacy on this issue,” Cr Springborg said. “Reliable telecommunications are essential for safety, economic activity, and daily life in our region. We will continue to advocate for dependable connectivity for residents and businesses.”