General News
9 January, 2023
Speak up on coverage
Member for Mallee Anne Webster says the Federal Government needs to ensure Australians in regional and remote areas have adequate mobile coverage. Dr Webster said extending and reforming the Universal Service Guarantee (USG) to mobile phones from...
Member for Mallee Anne Webster says the Federal Government needs to ensure Australians in regional and remote areas have adequate mobile coverage.
Dr Webster said extending and reforming the Universal Service Guarantee (USG) to mobile phones from landlines and introducing mandated mobile roaming in 2023 was essential to grow the regions and protect lives.
IN A STATEMENT DR WEBSTER SAID
“The past few years have highlighted how important the ability to stay connected really is,
particularly across an area as vast and isolated as Mallee,” she said.
“When in Government the Coalition funded more than 1200 new or upgraded mobile base stations under their Mobile Phone Black Spot Program, which residents had benefited from.
“There now needs to be regulatory guidelines to make sure mobile base stations can be used by all Australians, no matter what telco they are with.”
Dr Webster said mandating roaming in regional areas would share towers between all telcos to maintain and improve coverage as well as competition.
“The USG isn’t working and needs reform, which was highlighted in the Regional
Telecommunications Review handed down just before the federal election, yet the new government has made no commitment to implementing its recommendations,” Dr Webster said.
“Telcos should also be forced to maintain mobile towers, not just landlines. Unfortunately, the
October 2022 Budget also revealed cuts to regional telecommunications despite the urgent need for improvements.”
The former Coalition Government directed an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry into mobile roaming, to focus on the costs and access to telecommunications towers and facilities.
Dr Webster encouraged those living in rural and remote locations to complete the online survey:
https://consultation.accc.gov.au/accc/regional-mobile-infrastructure-inquiry/
The survey is open until February and precedes the Regional Mobile Infrastructure Inquiry draft report in April 2023.