Approximately two weeks ago, a telecommunications tower hosting Optus antennas was toppled, prompting a police investigation into the suspected act of vandalism.
The tower, situated on Vallances Road in Mullumbimby, is believed to have been damaged sometime between midnight and 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, according to NSW Police.
Upon notification, police from the Tweed/Byron Police District initiated inquiries into the incident.
ABC News, the first to report the incident, shared an image of the tower lying on its side, having breached the perimeter fence. The report indicated that bolts securing the tower to the ground had been removed.
Optus confirmed that the damage had affected its equipment housed on the tower, leading to service disruptions for customers in the Mullumbimby area.
“We are aware that some customers in the Mullumbimby area are experiencing disruption to their services after a mobile tower was damaged in a suspected case of vandalism,” stated a spokesperson for the telco.
Optus leases space on the tower from a third-party infrastructure provider to cater to its customers. The company is collaborating with this provider to restore service and plans to provide updates on its website once service is reinstated.
“We apologise to affected customers and thank them for their patience,” the spokesperson added.
Reports dating back to 2010 indicate Optus’s efforts to construct a tower on Vallances Road after encountering unsuitable sites elsewhere.
Since then, Optus, like other telecommunications companies, has separated its passive infrastructure into a separate entity, selling a majority stake. The tower is now owned by Indara, the company managing Optus’s infrastructure.
This incident is not the first of its kind in the area. Previously, other tower infrastructure in Mullumbimby was damaged, notably by a fire that impacted Telstra’s antennas, transmitters, and receiver infrastructure.
Authorities encourage anyone with information regarding the Vallances Road incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.
