Accidents, emergencies and disasters can strike at any time. Rural and remote Australians know this better than most – help is often much further away.
Telstra, Australia’s largest telco, claims to reach 99.7% of the population. But its network covers only about one-third of the continent’s landmass. That gap is felt acutely in rural areas, where reception is often patchy or non-existent.
One farming family from Ivanhoe, NSW, told us what that gap means in practice. When a medical emergency hit their farm, they had no mobile service and couldn’t reach the Royal Flying Doctor Service directly. Instead, they used a radio to contact someone who did have reception, who then relayed information between the family and the RFDS. That delay put lives at risk.
What’s worse, people tell us things have degraded since the 3G shutdown in 2024. We’ve heard from another family-run cattle operation, not far out of Charters Towers, QLD. Prior to the 3G shutdown they had around 90% coverage for both calls and data, and had this coverage in place for at least 5 years. Post-3G shutdown they can only make calls on around 20% of the property and can only load data when they return to the homestead at night. It’s now very difficult to call for assistance during calving season, and sheds, stockyards and water troughs –built where previous there was coverage – now have no signal.
Mobile connectivity keeps us linked to family, work, education and government services – but in an emergency, it’s a lifeline. It’s also central to healthcare access. With medical services and specialists already limited in regional Australia, telehealth has become a cornerstone of care for many rural communities. Without connectivity, that lifeline disappears too.
There are three things we can do now to close this gap.
First, accelerate Low Earth Orbit satellite (LEOsat) services. LEOsats such as Starlink currently deliver internet via small dishes mounted on properties or vehicles, but they’re already starting to deliver mobile connectivity too – voice and text now, data down the track. This would let people in the most remote parts of the country contact emergency services, attend telehealth appointments and stay connected to support networks, wherever they are.
The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) Bill, currently before Parliament, would require major telcos to deliver voice and SMS via this LEOsat technology. In practice: if you can see the sky, you should be able to connect your device to a satellite service.
Second, the UOMO Bill should also mandate domestic mobile roaming. If we bring in roaming, Australians would be able to tap in to usable signal on any available tower, no matter their telco. It’s technically feasible, and the connectivity improvement is too important to turn down.
Third, fund a National Device Bank for Australia’s most digitally excluded communities. Through our Independent Grants Program, we’ve helped fund a pilot providing free devices and training to First Nations communities. Early results are already promising: in Tennant Creek, iPads are helping teachers and community workers track students’ developmental and health outcomes and deliver literacy programs, while donated laptops are enabling telehealth consultations that bridge vast distances to the nearest clinic.
These reforms would mark a turning point for rural communications – connecting more communities, supporting regional businesses, and improving access to health, safety and essential services.
Every Australian deserves reliable communications, no matter where they live. Connectivity isn’t a luxury, it’s essential. Government and industry need to treat it that way.
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