Experiencing patchy reception on your mobile phone? Wondering where your nearest cell tower is and how to improve your signal?
5G small cell base stations have been rolling out across Australian cities and regional centres for years now, sitting atop the highest geographical points and mounted onto the sides of buildings and lamp posts. With Telstra 5G alone covering roughly 95% of the population, and 4G reaching more than 99%, most Australians should be within range of solid mobile coverage.
So why do so many still deal with dropped calls and slow data?
Knowing where your nearest cell tower is located can help explain why your reception is unreliable, and point to practical ways to improve your signal.
The simplest way to find your nearest mobile cell tower is to visit the Radio Frequency National Site Archive (RFNSA) website.
The site is managed by the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) on behalf of the Mobile Carriers Forum (MCF). The Forum represents the three mobile carriers deploying networks in Australia: Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom.
The RFNSA website plots the location of every mobile cell tower in Australia and provides a unique numerical identifier, GPS coordinates, carrier owner, signal type, height above sea level and the distance from your searched address.
You can search using either a Keyword or a Near To Address parameter.
As an example, MobileCorp's head office is located at 247 Coward Street, Mascot. The RFNSA website shows multiple towers surrounding the address. The tower highlighted below is Tower #2020010, located at Mascot Railway Station, 226 metres from the MobileCorp office.
The GPS coordinates are listed, and the height of the tower antenna is 9.81 metres above sea level. It is a shared tower, with all three carriers using the same infrastructure. The frequencies for each carrier are listed, along with Telstra's In-Building Coverage (IBC) solution.
There are several reasons the mobile signal at a particular location can be unreliable:
How far are you from the nearest cell tower? MobileCorp provides a Site Feasibility report by certified radio engineers, offering detailed insight into signal at a specific location for a standard fee of A$350. It highlights barriers to signal strength and recommends a solution.
As an individual user, you can also run a Speedtest by Ookla on your device, or download an app that identifies nearby towers and reports signal strength or outages. Options include AusPhoneTower and OpenSignal. The RFNSA website is another reliable option.
It's common to experience poor reception in one part of a business site, whether that's a warehouse, garage, showroom or back office.
There are several basic tips that can improve mobile signal, but for enterprise and business sites, installing a mobile network signal booster is usually the most reliable answer.
Network coverage extension devices amplify the signal the mobile device receives, extending the area it can operate in. MobileCorp provides mobile reception diagnostics, and supplies, installs and tests network booster devices.
Movement makes your phone and the network constantly readjust to your changing location, which makes it harder to lock onto a strong signal.
Buildings and structures block mobile signals, so heading outside can improve reception. If you're outside, an open area like a park will make it easier for the signal to reach your device.
Your phone needs enough power to fully use the available signal. When the battery is low, there might not be enough power to acquire and hold a strong connection.
Signal strength varies from room to room inside the same building. Try moving to different parts of the office or home, and test reception near windows since glass blocks signal less than a wall. An open window is even better if the weather allows.
A higher position, whether inside your building or on nearby elevated ground, reduces the chance of obstructions blocking your signal. Finding the highest point around you can improve reception noticeably.
All modern smartphones support WiFi calling and texting, and every major Australian carrier supports it. If mobile reception at your location is weak but you have reliable WiFi, switching over may solve the problem. Messaging apps also allow audio and video calls over WiFi.
Your phone auto-selects the network type by default. During busy times or in patchy 5G areas, manually switching to 4G may improve call quality thanks to lower bandwidth contention. (Note: Australia's 3G networks were officially shut down in October 2024, so all current mobile activity runs on 4G and 5G.)
All newer handsets are 5G compatible, and Telstra's 5G network now reaches around 95% of the Australian population. Having a device that can access both 4G and 5G frequencies gives you the best chance of a reliable connection.
If you have a case on your phone, taking it off may improve signal. A case can block the signal from reaching the phone's internal antenna.
Most phones use internal antennas that can be blocked depending on how you hold the device. If you're in a low-signal area, adjust your grip to keep the sides and bottom of the phone clear.
MobileCorp is an Australian communications technology company providing 5G Networks, Managed Mobility Services, Complex Data and IP Networks and Unified Communications solutions. We have a proven track record delivering solution architecture, build, deployment and managed services for Australian enterprise and business.