AussieCellMap guide

How to check mobile coverage at an address

A nearby tower is useful context, but it does not tell the whole coverage story. For a clearer picture, compare tower information with the network operator’s coverage map for your address.

Start with the carrier’s coverage map

Search the exact address on the relevant carrier map and check the predicted 4G and 5G coverage. Australian operators now present standardised outdoor coverage categories. These maps are predictions, so they are a starting point rather than a promise of reception inside your home.

Check Telstra coverage, Optus coverage or Vodafone coverage. If you use another provider, check its own map and plan details.

Then look at the sites nearby

Use AussieCellMap to search the same address. Look at nearby tower sites, carriers, distance and licensed frequency bands. This can help explain why one network may have a more promising local footprint, or why a weak spot might be plausible despite a tower being close.

Distance alone cannot confirm which site your phone or modem will use. Antenna direction, terrain, buildings, network configuration and demand all affect the connection. A tower badge or indicative reach shape in AussieCellMap is not a measured signal reading.

Why the lower frequencies matter

Low-band mobile spectrum—roughly 700 to 900 MHz—can generally reach farther and enter buildings more readily than higher-frequency bands. It is useful for broad-area coverage, while higher bands can add capacity. There is no reliable “700 MHz reaches X kilometres” rule: terrain, antenna setup, obstructions and the device can change the result substantially.

• Telstra: look for 700 MHz and 850 MHz low-band services.
• Optus: look for 700 MHz and 900 MHz low-band services.
• TPG/Vodafone: look for 700 MHz and 850 MHz low-band services on TPG’s own network. In eligible regional areas, customers may also use sites in the Optus–TPG shared radio network.

These are network spectrum holdings, not a promise that every nearby site transmits on every band or supports both 4G and 5G. Check the site details in AussieCellMap and the carrier’s current coverage map for your address.

What Optus and TPG share

Optus and TPG Telecom, which operates Vodafone in Australia, share radio-network infrastructure and some spectrum in specified regional areas. This can give TPG/Vodafone customers access to participating Optus sites. Their metropolitan mobile networks remain separate, and a shared regional site does not mean both providers offer identical coverage or service at every address. Check the coverage map for the provider and plan you would actually use.

Cat-M1 and NB-IoT for connected devices

Cat-M1 (also called LTE-M) and NB-IoT are low-power cellular technologies for Internet of Things devices. They are radio technologies rather than separate frequency bands, and they need a compatible device, SIM or service plan, and coverage for that specific technology.

Cat-M1 suits devices that move or report more often, such as asset trackers and wearable sensors. NB-IoT suits mostly stationary devices sending small amounts of data, such as water meters and environmental sensors. Both can support long battery life; neither is intended for ordinary phone browsing, video streaming or home broadband.

• Telstra publicly offers both Cat-M1 and NB-IoT connectivity and provides separate IoT coverage information.
• Optus documents NB-IoT deployments, including smart water meters. Confirm Cat-M1 availability for a proposed Optus deployment directly with Optus.
• TPG Telecom/Vodafone documents NB-IoT deployments, including smart water meters. Confirm Cat-M1 availability directly with the provider before selecting a device or plan.

A nearby 4G or 5G site in AussieCellMap does not confirm that Cat-M1 or NB-IoT is enabled there. The Optus–TPG regional sharing arrangement does not by itself establish IoT service availability. Use the IoT provider’s technology-specific coverage and device-approval information before deploying sensors.

Consider the device you will use

A handheld phone outdoors, a phone deep inside a building and a home broadband modem beside a window can experience different signal at the same address. Device capability and supported bands matter too. If indoor reception is your concern, test at the places you will actually use the service where possible.

For 4G or 5G home broadband, use the provider’s address eligibility checker before ordering. Mobile coverage on a map does not automatically mean a home broadband plan is available at that address.

Ways to improve reception at home

If your phone works better near a window or outside, the building may be weakening the mobile signal. Optus recommends trying a window or outdoor spot and keeping your phone’s software current. That is a useful first check before buying equipment.

For calls in rooms with weak mobile reception, try Wi-Fi Calling if your phone, plan and home internet support it. Telstra, Optus and Vodafone describe using Wi-Fi to make calls where mobile signal is poor. This uses your home internet; it does not strengthen the mobile network signal itself.

For 4G or 5G home broadband, try the modem in different positions near an unobstructed window. Optus recommends this for its 5G home modem. A home Wi-Fi extender helps distribute the modem’s connection around the house; it does not improve the mobile signal reaching the modem.

If there is usable mobile signal outside but little inside, ask your carrier whether an approved external antenna or repeater is suitable. Telstra offers assessed GO repeaters for some homes. ACMA says cellular repeaters require written permission from the carrier, while mobile phone boosters are prohibited. None of these options guarantees service at a particular address.

AussieCellMap shows licence and matched site data, plus indicative estimates. It does not measure live signal or guarantee service. Explore AussieCellMap.