TRAPPED under a table, a Beverford resident was alarmed to find he was unable to reach emergency services due to a block in mobile phone signal.
After calling the emergency service number nearly 30 times in half an hour and failing to get through, the man was eventually able to free himself, but the incident was so concerning that he later followed it up with his phone carrier.
“I got into a situation where I needed to call 000… you wouldn’t have known there [was any interference] because you get bad signal anyway… but I rang 28 times in 25 minutes and couldn’t get through,” he said.
“I later found out that a person [nearby] had an illegal repeater station they had bought on the internet that wasn’t compatible with Telstra.”
A mobile phone repeater is used to boost phone signal in an area where it is poor.
They are designed to wirelessly regenerate or replicate a mobile signal, and are commonly used by carriers in their ordinary network.
However, only devices approved by Australian communications regulator ACMA can legally be used.
Due to the high cost of the devices, a lucrative market in selling cheap mobile phone boosters has emerged.
In northern Victoria, Telstra estimates there are at least two incidents each month where a faulty booster is interfering with signal.
According to Telstra, preceding the incident in Beverford, there were numerous reports of reception drop-outs in Woorinen South, Tyntynder South, Woorinen North and Swan Hill.
Telstra northern Victoria area general manager Ian Baker said boosters bought over the internet may run on high power, overheat and become faulty.
“Repeaters are usually found in areas where people don’t have very good mobile coverage… what has happened is that this has gone faulty and when it’s gone faulty it has interfered with the network,” Mr Baker said.
“If consumers choose to buy a repeater over the internet to boost mobile coverage, they need to make sure it is approved.
“[Illegal repeaters] may have a detrimental effect to your neighbours and yourself… but often people are none the wiser.”
He said the devices could cost several hundred dollars, and cheap online offers were “like the saying — if it is too good to be true, it probably is”.
When the Beverford incident was investigated, an illegal device was found near the Nyah West tower.
The resident has now had his service restored, but urged consumers to stay within regulations.
“When someone goes and buys a repeater station and no one can get through to 000 that is a serious problem,” he said.
“If someone was stuck under a tractor and the only means of saving their life is calling 000…
“It is a life and death situation, but these people probably don’t know they are doing anything wrong.”
