Queensland Coastal Mobile Coverage

I thought I would keep a few notes about where we do and don't get mobile coverage as we travel the East Coast of Queensland.  Coverage is pretty solid from the border up to Bundaberg so I will work my way up from there as we travel north.  See our Communications page for equipment details. http://heatwaveleopard42.blogspot.com.au/p/mobile-communications.html

Lady Musgrave Island.  We had optus 4G coverage to within a few miles of Lady Musgrave using the Masthead Antenna.  Once in the lagoon we were able to maintain useable Telstra for voice and Data on the Masthead Antenna.

Pancake Creek had 3G Telstra, 4G required an antenna in April but had good 4G by November 2018.  Optus had good 3 and 4G

Great Keppel Island.  Has towers on site for Telstra and Optus, but a bit patchy at Svendsens Beach.

Keppels to Port Clinton has reasonable Telstra and Optus Coverage.

Pearl Bay has basically nothing within the anchorage.  A mile out from the Anchorage resulted in Telstra service on the external antenna right into Island Head Creek.

Island Head Creek picks up Telstra and some Optus from the Town of Byfield to the south.  The gap through the mountains allows signal to come on a very narrow line from the entrance down to the third creek.  The coverage gets stronger with Telstra the further south you travel in Island Head Creek, but really requires an external antenna for useful signal.  Telstra 3G and Optus 4G were available at the anchorages just inside the entrance to Island Head Creek, on the Eastern shore.

Heading North towards Hexham Island from Island Head Creek, there is Telstra 3 and 4G coverage.  This is coming from a new tower commissioned in December 2017 at Stanage.

Hexham Island to South Percy was Telstra 4G on the Masthead Antenna, but nothing without the Antenna.

Marble Island had marginal Telstra 3G, but Hunter Island offered both Optus and Telstra 4G with the use of an antenna, but marginal coverage without the antenna.

Middle Percy at West Bay.  With the Masthead Antenna there is useable Telstra 3G signal, but this is coming from Clairview and not Stanage, even though Stanage is closer.  The cliffs at West Bay seem to block the line of sight to Stanage.  Whites Bay now some Telstra 3G without an antenna but useable 3 and 4G with an external antenna.  Whites Bay gets coverage from the new Stanage tower.

Keswick, Brampton and Goldsmith Island all have reasonable Telstra and Optus coverage, depending on the individual anchorages.

Coverage is reasonable around the Whitsundays except on the Eastern side of Hook and Whitsunday Islands.  Was able to get very marginal Optus and Telstra at Butterfly Bay on Hook Island, as well as patches of coverage along Whitehaven beach.  Apostle Bay had reasonable Optus and Telstra on the external antenna.  4G coverage is now slightly better that 3G in many areas.

Border Island had very patchy coverage outside of the anchorage, but nothing within the anchorage or even from the lookout at the top.

Gloucester passage and Bowen have good Telstra and Optus, with coverage maintained right through to Townsville.

Magnetic Island has good Telstra and Optus in Horseshoe Bay.

Orpheous Island had Telstra and Optus.

Hinchinbrook Island is very patchy.  Telstra is available from towers on Palm Island to give some coverage.  Zoe Bay had very slight Telstra 3G from the northern end of the anchorage.

North of Hinchinbrook has basically unbroken Optus and Telstra coverage to Port Douglas.

Past Port Douglas the only Optus is in Cooktown.  Hope Islands have good Telstra and after that there is Telstra 4G from Hopevale.  The tower at Cape Flattery has Telstra 3G only, and not very fast for data.  This tower also supplies phone service to Lizard Island.   Watsons Bay at Lizard has fairly marginal Telstra 3G with an antenna at the masthead if not anchored too close to the beach.  Telstra 4G is available up the hill with coverage coming from Hopevale.