Obviously, we just spoke to the Australian Medical Association's NT President, doctor Robert Parker, following on from the concerns that were raised earlier in the week about the lack of mobile well any mobile phone coverage a little earlier in the week and the issues that that was causing out at the hospital. Now joining us in the studio right now is Nick dangs Now. Nick is indeed tel Stress Regional general manager.

Obviously, we just spoke to the Australian Medical Association's NT President, doctor Robert Parker, following on from the concerns that were raised earlier in the week about the lack of mobile well any mobile phone coverage a little earlier in the week and the issues that that was causing out at the hospital. Now joining us in the studio right now is Nick dangs Now. Nick is indeed tel Stress Regional general manager.

Good morning to you dang.

Good morning to you dang.

Cy morning Katie. How are you yeah?

Cy morning Katie. How are you yeah?

Really good? Thanks so much for your time this morning.

Really good? Thanks so much for your time this morning.

Now where are things ash out at Royal Darwin Hospital.

Now where are things ash out at Royal Darwin Hospital.

Well, first of all, I want to apologize in in convenience it cause to the hospital and the staff out there and the patients out there. Obviously it's not something that we wanted to do, but with the way the situation of the tower was, it desperately needed upgrading. It's something we'veen working on for a while, getting lots of issues from people who work around Tewii and live in Tiwi and it was something that needed to be done. We did look at postponing it because we didn't send out some messages which I talk out a moment, but at the end of the day, it would had to be done at some stage. So again apologize the inconvenience. But as we sit on Wednesday, if I don't lose track on my day's sms's and voice came back online. And as of eleven o'clock yesterday or thereabouts eleven ish, the data came back online. So I just had her Doctor Parker saying he couldn SMS. Simple thing to try there would be to turn your phone on and off again in case it's just lost something off the phone. Because we have tested the service this morning, and I'm going to leave here again now that I've heard doctor Parker, I'll do a drive by into it. See if, like I said, an SMS ye, but it is the system is fully up and working from ours and upgraded, so you should get fast as data speeds, and you should get obviously voice and text working again.

Well, first of all, I want to apologize in in convenience it cause to the hospital and the staff out there and the patients out there. Obviously it's not something that we wanted to do, but with the way the situation of the tower was, it desperately needed upgrading. It's something we'veen working on for a while, getting lots of issues from people who work around Tewii and live in Tiwi and it was something that needed to be done. We did look at postponing it because we didn't send out some messages which I talk out a moment, but at the end of the day, it would had to be done at some stage. So again apologize the inconvenience. But as we sit on Wednesday, if I don't lose track on my day's sms's and voice came back online. And as of eleven o'clock yesterday or thereabouts eleven ish, the data came back online. So I just had her Doctor Parker saying he couldn SMS. Simple thing to try there would be to turn your phone on and off again in case it's just lost something off the phone. Because we have tested the service this morning, and I'm going to leave here again now that I've heard doctor Parker, I'll do a drive by into it. See if, like I said, an SMS ye, but it is the system is fully up and working from ours and upgraded, so you should get fast as data speeds, and you should get obviously voice and text working again.

That is good to hear it now.

That is good to hear it now.

Look, I think the big concern at this point. I know that you did just apologize for what has happened over recent days, but the situation out there at the hospital is obviously it can be a life and death situation if if someone's not able to contact another doctor or somebody else at the hospital.

Look, I think the big concern at this point. I know that you did just apologize for what has happened over recent days, but the situation out there at the hospital is obviously it can be a life and death situation if if someone's not able to contact another doctor or somebody else at the hospital.

Why didn't tell stra sort of prioritize that or let people know.

Why didn't tell stra sort of prioritize that or let people know.

First of all, none of the hospital critical services were actually affected, so their landlines, their computers, all that patient information stuff that wasn't affected. What was affected was the standard mobile phone, so SMS, text, obviously, voice calls and data. Because basically we had to strip the tower down and put all new equipment onto it. That removes the power off it the whole lot. So again, it was didn't affect any of the critical services from the hospital itself. Why it wasn't sent out is what normally would happen when we do a mobile tower is we send out an SMS per stream SMS to everybody, and people who live in Catherine during the show period, anybody would have known that we were sending SMSs about the three G closure. The problem we're sending it from a metro area is everybody gets it, even though it doesn't affect everybody, because if you're closer to another tower, it wouldn't affect you, is it.

First of all, none of the hospital critical services were actually affected, so their landlines, their computers, all that patient information stuff that wasn't affected. What was affected was the standard mobile phone, so SMS, text, obviously, voice calls and data. Because basically we had to strip the tower down and put all new equipment onto it. That removes the power off it the whole lot. So again, it was didn't affect any of the critical services from the hospital itself. Why it wasn't sent out is what normally would happen when we do a mobile tower is we send out an SMS per stream SMS to everybody, and people who live in Catherine during the show period, anybody would have known that we were sending SMSs about the three G closure. The problem we're sending it from a metro area is everybody gets it, even though it doesn't affect everybody, because if you're closer to another tower, it wouldn't affect you, is it.

I might still get the message here in Darwin City, if you did.

I might still get the message here in Darwin City, if you did.

A drive by the hospital area, you would get the SMS for you even though it's not affecting yours. So the decision was made not to do that. We've decided and got together and as doctor Parker said, we've had a lot of conversations about this over the last three or four days.

A drive by the hospital area, you would get the SMS for you even though it's not affecting yours. So the decision was made not to do that. We've decided and got together and as doctor Parker said, we've had a lot of conversations about this over the last three or four days.

From now on, SEMSS will be done for all of the upgrade no matter what.

From now on, SEMSS will be done for all of the upgrade no matter what.

And one of the officers we're going to make and we've spoken, is that I'm more than happy to come on once a month and just talk about the upgrades across the territory and trust me in. By the end of twenty four and all of twenty five. There is a lot going on. How it springs, the coally Acacia Hills, we've just turned on middle Point, there's a lot.

And one of the officers we're going to make and we've spoken, is that I'm more than happy to come on once a month and just talk about the upgrades across the territory and trust me in. By the end of twenty four and all of twenty five. There is a lot going on. How it springs, the coally Acacia Hills, we've just turned on middle Point, there's a lot.

Douglas Daley's another ones. There's a lot.

Douglas Daley's another ones. There's a lot.

Happening, so their tower upgrades or brand new tower built and upgrades and all sorts. So there's a fair bit going on in the Northern Territory right the way. Galliwink, who's only two weeks away before that, gets upgraded, So there's a fair bit happening here in the NT.

Happening, so their tower upgrades or brand new tower built and upgrades and all sorts. So there's a fair bit going on in the Northern Territory right the way. Galliwink, who's only two weeks away before that, gets upgraded, So there's a fair bit happening here in the NT.

Well.

Well.

Look, Dancy, we're happy to have you on more regularly.

Look, Dancy, we're happy to have you on more regularly.

You know, every time you come on you're going to get questions about people with issues with their coverage.

You know, every time you come on you're going to get questions about people with issues with their coverage.

I'm happy to take them. I don't think there's many people who don't have my number anyway, So I'm moore and happy to take those messages and more than happy to be honest with people and tell people what we're doing and what we can and can't do.

I'm happy to take them. I don't think there's many people who don't have my number anyway, So I'm moore and happy to take those messages and more than happy to be honest with people and tell people what we're doing and what we can and can't do.

Yeah. Look, and so by the sounds of things with the situation that's happened as well at Royal Darwin Hospital earlier this week, it does sound as though really you want to make sure that that's not happened doesn't happen again, as in people are notified so they know exactly what's going on.

Yeah. Look, and so by the sounds of things with the situation that's happened as well at Royal Darwin Hospital earlier this week, it does sound as though really you want to make sure that that's not happened doesn't happen again, as in people are notified so they know exactly what's going on.

Yeah, I just come off a funkal for a guy here and the grievance just to send an SMS out, even though again, if we did an upgrade to the tower, it's a duck pind or someone like that people who drive past it to get the SMS. But that's probably better let more people know than not that people knows what where I've come from the Northern Territory.

Yeah, I just come off a funkal for a guy here and the grievance just to send an SMS out, even though again, if we did an upgrade to the tower, it's a duck pind or someone like that people who drive past it to get the SMS. But that's probably better let more people know than not that people knows what where I've come from the Northern Territory.

Yeah, well I think and also like I know in recent weeks, you know, I've like because I go out to Marara obviously quite often for kids' sport and things like that. I've been notified about different work that's happening out there, despite the fact that I don't live out that way.

Yeah, well I think and also like I know in recent weeks, you know, I've like because I go out to Marara obviously quite often for kids' sport and things like that. I've been notified about different work that's happening out there, despite the fact that I don't live out that way.

That that was because decision was made.

That that was because decision was made.

Again I don't know, well, I will leave, but there was a decision decision made not to send it out for the day in hospital because it was a metro area, whereas Marara and whatnot, it did get sent out, and so decision now is that we will send it out again. Apologize for people that inconvenience over the last week or so that we've been working on the day in hospital. But the good news it is has been completed and people will definitely see improvement. And I said, if doctor Parker's not getting SMSs, he can either reboot his phone and if he's still not getting it, he can contact you and give him my number and then we can handing because it should be it is back up and running.

Again I don't know, well, I will leave, but there was a decision decision made not to send it out for the day in hospital because it was a metro area, whereas Marara and whatnot, it did get sent out, and so decision now is that we will send it out again. Apologize for people that inconvenience over the last week or so that we've been working on the day in hospital. But the good news it is has been completed and people will definitely see improvement. And I said, if doctor Parker's not getting SMSs, he can either reboot his phone and if he's still not getting it, he can contact you and give him my number and then we can handing because it should be it is back up and running.

Yeah, good stuff.

Yeah, good stuff.

Well, Nick Danks, the Telstra Regional general Manager, always appreciate your time. Good to catch up with you.

Well, Nick Danks, the Telstra Regional general Manager, always appreciate your time. Good to catch up with you.

Thank you.

Thank you.