The towers, announced yesterday, will significantly improve mobile phone coverage.

With good-quality mobile coverage, more people might consider moving to regional areas.

Farmers will have better scope to work from the paddocks and small businesses will no longer struggle with patchy service.

Students will be able to study by distance education easier and have more opportunities to learn online.

Good mobile phone reception can lead to so many benefits for the region.

However, the most important benefit will be improved communication in times of emergency.

The Wimmera has seen many floods or fires wreak havoc across the region, and emergency efforts have been hindered by poor mobile phone service.

Fire-fighters have struggled to communicate with each other and residents to warn them in emergencies.

Hopefully such situations will be a thing of the past.

Good mobile phone service is vital for so many aspects of our lives.

Wimmera residents should not be disadvantaged for living in regional Victoria.

Let's hope this announcement is the first of many for the region.