MP pledges to get rural communities connected

While landlines may seem a phone of the past, to some it's still not a reliable or viable connection option.

David Littleproud has vowed to help communities without mobile service. Picture: Chris Ison ROK310118cagriculture

AUSTRALIANS living rurally often have no mobile service and poor landline access.

Maranoa MP David Littleproud has vowed to help rural communities without mobile service or a reliable landline connection.

"I want to assure Maranoa communities their voice will be heard as I made a submission to make sure our most basic right to a fixed-line phone service will be protected,” Mr Littleproud said.

"Australia's Universal Service Obligation (USO) guarantees access to a fixed copper line telephone service with almost $300 million provided to Telstra each year for landlines, including $44 million for payphone services. In regions with no mobile phone coverage, landline connections must be protected.

"A landline phone is imperative for safety and connectivity but the local payphone box is now a service that's basically obsolete.”

The Maranoa electorate spans 42 per cent of rural Queensland.

Yet too many Maranoa citizens are forced to live without any reliable telecommunication access, Mr Littleproud said.

"The only way I see a way forward is to reshape the telecommunications policy for regional Australia to fit the technology mix for the now and into the future,” Mr Littleproud said.

"The last mechanism available to us as legislators is to address the USO. By transforming the USO so it continues to protect landlines, essential for safety of those living in rural and remote areas and increasing mobile phone coverage.”