While the CoW might not be as agile as some of the other animals on display, it is essential to helping Telstra customers get the most out of their visit to the event.

Xstrata Mount Isa Rotary Rodeo manager Donna Kuskopf said it would be a huge benefit to have the CoW at this year's rodeo after experiencing some network difficulties last year.

"It really helps us to have our customers being able to stay on the network and helps to get our event out there," she said.

Mrs Kuskopf said having better coverage means rodeo attendees could keep connected to twitter and Facebook and help to project the event into the world of social media. A CoW is a piece of temporary infrastructure that can be tethered to the Telstra Next G mobile broadband network to allow more mobile users to be online or on the phone at the same time.

Amanda Albon, Telstra Country Wide Area General Manager for Far North Queensland, said the additional capacity will better cater for spectators' growing demand to use their smart phones at sporting events and festivals such as the Mount Isa Rodeo.

"The Telstra Next G mobile network has been designed to manage the normal day to day demands in a particular area but when a large event is held for a few days or even weeks, a CoW can be mustered in to take the pressure off the existing network," Ms Albon said. "By deploying a CoW we can better cater for the ever-growing number of people who now use their smart phones not simply to make calls or send text messages, but for uploading photo and video content to social media sites.

Ms Albon said at peak times customers may still experience slower than expected data. "If data is slower than expected I'd encourage our customers to wait a few minutes and try again. Just as the exhibitions, events and stands experience a heavier demand at times, so too does the mobile network," she said.

The installation of a CoW at the Mount Isa Rodeo 2013 is one part of Telstra's commitment to broaden and improve its mobile broadband network across the country.