Falinski demands Telstra upgrade Cottage Point phone reception

Mackellar MP Jason Falinksis has implored Telstra to improve the phone reception in Cottage Point after a local died when his wife was unable to call an ambulance.

Cottage Point resident David Berry passed away at his home earlier this year after suffering a heart attack. His wife was forced to alert neighbors to call for help before returning to him to perform CPR, due to her phone being out of reception. Mr Berry sadly died before the ambulance arrived.

In response, Mr Falinski has created a petition to lobby Telstra to upgrade the area’s landline switchboard equipment from the outdated 4 E1 Microwave Radio transmission system. To date, the petition has attracted 260 signatures.

“Enough is enough. In 2019, it’s ridiculous that a suburb only 25 kilometres away from the CBD does not have reliable phone reception, and in some areas has none at all,” Mr Falinksi wrote on the petition page.

“I have been advocating for improved mobile phone coverage at Cottage Point since I was elected but this is the last straw… I am calling on Telstra to take action and improve phone reception in the area immediately.”

Mr Falinski has written to the Minister of Communications, the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP about the issue, as well as Mr Andrew Penn, CEO of Telstra.

“Telstra need to stop stuffing the people of Cottage Point around. It doesn’t matter that they may be a small community; they are worth just as much as people living in the CBD of Sydney…” Mr Falinksi concluded.