In Mullumbimby, a 30-meter mobile phone tower owned by Optus was toppled earlier this month, with evidence suggesting it was a deliberate act of vandalism. Tweed-Byron Police District Inspector Matt Woods indicated that the tower likely fell because the bolts had been removed using a ratchet gun or similar tool, causing it to collapse, leading to its total destruction. This incident is not an isolated event as a Telstra tower in Mullumbimby's CBD was set on fire in March 2022, affecting communication services in the aftermath of a flood in the region.
Despite the incidents seemingly unrelated, there has been ongoing concern and protest in the area against 5G technology, with the Telstra tower being a focal point of a protest movement before it was damaged. Inspector Woods expressed the possibility that the toppling of the Optus tower might not be the only occurrence, given similar acts in the southern region of New South Wales. Optus acknowledged the disruption in services for some Mullumbimby customers and stated that they are working on restoring services from the tower, which they lease from a third-party provider. The company is making efforts to address the situation and minimize the impact on affected residents relying on their services in the area.