David Littleproud, Helen Haines call for mobile phone tower reform

Many mobile phone blackspots across regional Australia could be eradicated if some simple changes are made, MPs claim.

A push to make rural telephone towers universal is gaining support across the parliamentary divide with calls to unlock monopolised services.

Most mobile phone towers across regional Australia are locked to a specific telecommunication provider, restricting signal access to their customers only.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has in the past ruled against mandating mobile roaming, claiming it would not improve phone reception in rural areas.

The ACCC last month decided not to authorise a $1.8 billion regional network sharing deal between Telstra and TPG due to coverage concerns.

Federal MPs David Littleproud and Helen Haines have called for mobile phone reforms. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

National Party MP Sam Birrell called for an extension of the Universal Service Guarantee (USG) to mobile phones from landlines.

“Mobile phone reception is a source of frustration for too many rural people who deserve better,” the Nicholls MP said.

“It is a classic city/country divide, where country people have to fight to get the same quality of service city folk take for granted.

“It makes sense for telcos to invest in infrastructure where they have the most customers, that is why the Nationals fought for a Universal Service Guarantee, and we will keep fighting to make sure it is fit for purpose.

“Mobile phones are ubiquitous but in regional areas, coverage and competition are limited by the access to the communications infrastructure, mandating roaming would provide better reception and choice for country consumers.”

Indi MP Helen Haines told ABC radio today her submission to the inquiry called for mobile towers to be opened up for multi-provider use.

“We should be opening up these towers for multi-services so that if you’re travelling, working or living in regional Australia, you can get a phone signal,”

“I’ve had people contact me who could not get assistance during the most recent floods because of the lack of connection to a tower.

“People come to (north-east Victoria) and are staggered when they may be very close to a tower and not realising their telephone company doesn’t have rights on that tower.”

Last year, the Albanese Government launched an inquiry into the potential for multi-carrier regional mobile phone towers.