The National Farmers’ Federation welcomed the announcement that the government has committed to introducing a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation.
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.
NFF president David Jochinke said the world-first obligation would both create and safeguard a right for every Australian to access basic calls and text services from any location.
The project is made possible due to Low Earth Orbit Satellites and the arrival of ‘Direct to Device’ technology.
“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 000 from anywhere they can see the sky.”
The NFF has advocated for reliable and affordable mobile connectivity in the bush for decades, including as a founding member of the Rural, Regional and Remote Communications Coalition.
“Mobile has long been the next frontier in universal protections for telecommunications users and we’re thrilled to see it becoming a reality,” Mr Jochinke said.
“By locking in this satellite coverage, it becomes something people in the regions can rely upon – rather than a fortuitous benefit that may come and go in the future.”
The obligation would secure new mobile coverage across an estimated five million square kilometres of land, including more than 37,000 kilometres of regional roads.
However, the NFF warned 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,” Mr Jochinke said.
“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.”
