Connectivity boost for WA, but remote Australians still left behind

The Australian Government has allocated $8 million to help deliver better mobile coverage along highways and major roads for Western Australians who live, work or holiday in regional and remote areas. The funding is being delivered as part of the government’s $50 million Regional Roads Australia Mobile Program (RRAMP), which supports pilot programs to deliver new or innovative solutions to meet community connectivity expectations.

The funding will support the WA Government in creating new and improved infrastructure to address mobile coverage gaps. The state government is providing matching funding of $8 million and will target its pilot program to improving coverage on two key regional road transport corridors: the Albany Highway, between Bedfordale and Albany Airport, and the Great Eastern Highway, between Bullabulling and Meckering.

The WA pilot program is expected to commence soon, with applications planned to open before the end of the year. In addition to addressing pressing mobile coverage issues, the pilot will also provide improved mobile connectivity during disaster and emergency situations.

“In an emergency, we want all Australians to know that the Albanese government is absolutely focused on ensuring that no matter where you live, you are in the best possible position to respond to disasters — particularly as we approach bushfire season,” said Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister.

“In a disaster, every second counts, and being able to receive information and maintain contact with family, friends and neighbours is crucial. I’m extremely pleased that this pilot program will deliver connection for more Australians when they need it most.”

The funding was announced just two weeks after the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) revealed that it had received almost 52,000 complaints from regional, rural and remote Australians between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2024, relating to faults, poor service quality, poor mobile service coverage, outages and accessibility barriers. Consumers told the TIO that faults and service problems can take longer to be resolved in regional locations, in some cases being reported over several years without any lasting improvements to services.

Mobile coverage is often poor in regional, rural and remote areas in Australia, so consumers may have no choice but to depend on their landline or expensive satellite services. Indeed, the TIO heard about consumers who sign up to a mobile service after being told that their mobile will work in their area, but when returning home to a remote location find they have no service. This can be especially dangerous for consumers living in areas at greater risk of bushfires, cyclones, floods and other natural disasters.

The TIO concluded that the telco regulatory framework needs to be modernised to ensure regional consumers can have reliable telco services, and so has made the following recommendations:

• One coherent, robust and modern regulatory framework rather than the Universal Service Obligation (USO) scheme, Statutory Infrastructure Provider (SIP) regime and Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) regime to offer standards for different services.
• The SIP regime should have clear benchmarks and standards so that consumers can seek compensation from a SIP.
• In reviewing the USO framework, the government should consider the essential nature of mobile services, to ensure the regulatory framework meets community expectations.
• Mobile coverage maps should be standardised, accessible to all consumers, and inclusive of information about geographical location, quality of coverage and data speeds.
• First Nations consumers should be consulted on plans about how to help close the digital inclusion gap.
• There needs to be an increased focus on mobile accessibility to improve connectivity for First Nations consumers living in regional areas.
   

“We rely on phone and internet services in emergencies, for work, banking, telehealth services, social cohesion — everything,” said Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert. “We need a policy agenda that reflects the indispensable nature of telecommunications.”

“Regional, rural, and remote consumers are getting left behind, and it’s time that serious efforts are made to address the digital divide in this country.

“If you’ve told your telco about the problems you’re experiencing and you’re not able to get it resolved with them, contact our office on 1800 062 058. We’re here to help.”

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