Australia passes law on basic outdoor mobile coverage — ABC News Australia
Australia has passed a law on universal outdoor mobile coverage. It requires Telstra, Optus and TPG to provide basic voice calls and SMS across the country, while specific standards and deadlines are yet to be determined by the minister for communications. Mobile coverage is currently available on less than one-third of Australia’s territory, although 98% of residents use phones for calls, ABC News reports.
The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation law updates the existing universal service obligation, which previously required access only to landline services and payphones. Minister Anika Wells will be able to set requirements for the quality of calls and messages, coverage areas, service costs, funding and fault repairs.
Satellite communications
Operators will be able to meet the requirements using terrestrial infrastructure, including mobile towers. At the same time, low-Earth-orbit satellites are expected to cover a significant portion of remote areas. To connect a phone directly to a satellite, a user must be outdoors.
Currently, only Starlink can provide direct satellite connectivity to a mobile device. Telstra already offers a text messaging service through Starlink, but it is available only to certain customers using specific phone models, uses existing radio-frequency spectrum and does not allow calls to the Triple Zero (000) emergency service.
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Standards and deadlines
Luke Coleman, chief executive of the Australian Telecommunications Alliance, said direct device-to-satellite technology has not yet undergone broad testing and commercial deployment. According to him, launching the service requires allocating dedicated radio-frequency spectrum and integrating the technology into operators’ networks.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network supported the law but warned of unequal access due to the possible cost of services. It has also not yet been determined whether the new standards will provide for the ability to call Triple Zero.
31 December 2027 has been set as the baseline date for the obligation to take effect, although the minister may defer it until the end of 2030. Wells said she aims to introduce the requirements by 1 December 2027, but telecommunications industry representatives consider such a timetable unlikely.
