Mobile phone providers would be obliged to provide service across all of Australia by 2027 under a Labor proposal.
Black spots in mobile phone coverage could be a thing of the past under a federal government scheme if Labor is re-elected.
Telcos would be required to provide outdoor mobile coverage across all of Australia under laws to be introduced by Labor if it retains government at the upcoming election.
All outdoor areas of Australia would have mobile coverage by 2027 under the laws, with an extra five million square kilometres to gain service, including 37,000km of roads in regional areas.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the obligation for telcos would guarantee Australians had access to mobile service anywhere they could see the sky.
“The universal outdoor mobile obligation will improve public safety, increase resilience during natural disasters and provide an extra layer of coverage in areas previously thought too difficult or costly to reach,” she said.
“The experience will be different to land mobile networks but the benefits transformative, particularly for a large continent such as ours.”
While Australia has previously had a universal service obligation for landlines and payphones, it has not extended to mobile phone coverage.
If enshrined by legislation, the world-first proposal means telecommunications companies will be legally bound to guarantee basic, outdoor voice and text mobile coverage across every corner of Australia. This advance is made possible due to Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEOSats) and the arrival of ‘Direct to Device’ or D2D technology.
National Farmers Federation welcomed the announcement, with President David Jochinke saying the obligation would both create and safeguard a right for every Australian to access basic calls and text services from any location.
“Mobile black spots are a huge source of frustration for people in the bush. Coverage gaps can compromise safety and make it harder to run a business,” Mr Jochinke said.
“This new obligation will ensure that the safety of rural Australians, and their access to basic mobile services, cannot be put in the too-hard basket.
“This levels the playing field in a big way – making outdoor mobile coverage universally accessible – regardless of where you live, or which phone company you’re with.
“Every Australian will feel safer knowing that with the right handset, they can call triple zero from anywhere they can see the sky.”
Laws setting up the requirement would be introduced to parliament later in 2025, with the mobile obligation to focus at first on SMS and phone calls.
Ms Rowland said universal mobile phone coverage would help to expand emergency call access and improve signal availability during natural disasters.
The NFF warned however that this could not be seen as an excuse to reduce investment in the terrestrial mobile network.
“Land based coverage from mobile towers will still be the gold standard for years to come.
“Satellite based connectivity is just one piece of the puzzle, and the need for continued co-investment in mobile towers by telco providers and government isn’t going away.
“We’ve still got a long way to go before the bush is on a level playing field with the city when it comes to connectivity. It’s why this election we are still seeking a commitment for a Regional Telecommunications Strategy and further funding for the On Farm Connectivity Program,” Mr Jochinke concluded.
The announcement was made the same day a Senate Inquiry delivered its final report into the 3G network shutdown, concluding the switchoff had not been managed appropriately and many Australians had suddenly lost connectivity as gaps in coverage were exposed.
“Mobile coverage maps didn’t tell the truth, and many farm communities have lost the connectivity we need to stay safe, let alone conduct our business,” NSW Farmers Rural Affairs Committee Member Sarah Thompson said.
“This 3G switch off has affected the mobile phones and data accessibility we rely on to conduct our businesses.
“Farmers have also had to make expensive upgrades to water monitors, tractors, irrigation rigs and much more to enable continuity of business.”
To address deteriorating connectivity across the state, the report recommended a co-funded program be established to help customers purchase new or replacement equipment such as boosters to improve their connectivity in rural and remote NSW.
Broadening the scope of a national mobile coverage audit and expediting the introduction of Starlink mobile phone services were also among the recommendations of the report, which Ms Thompson said was just the start of the work to be done on rural and remote connectivity.
“We still need mobile towers to be upgraded so at a minimum, we have the connectivity and coverage that is equivalent to what we had before,” Ms Thompson said.
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