ACCC Launches Inquiry Into Domestic Mobile Roaming in Australia
Synopsis
Commissioner Anna Brakey says the 12-month review will examine domestic roaming and shared network infrastructure to improve competition and expand mobile coverage in regional Australia.
Australia's competition watchdog has issued a statement calling for a 12-month inquiry into domestic mobile roaming by the ACCC, which could impact telecommunications (Telco) companies, local businesses and mobile consumers nationwide as part of its investigation into the policy issue.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will look into the need for mobile network operators (MNOs) to allow competitors wholesale access in areas where they already have coverage.
The inquiry will also consider whether radio access network (RAN) services should be declared under Australia's telecommunications access regime. When a mobile phone user moves from the coverage area of his or her provider to another network, it is known as domestic roaming.
Review Comes After Major Industry Changes
Australia's mobile market has undergone a dramatic transformation since the last domestic roaming review in 2017, which resulted in ACCC's decision not to force wholesale roaming, it said. Since then, carriers have rolled out nationwide 5G deployments and turned off their 3G networks and signed new infrastructure-sharing deals, altering how mobile services are competed.
The ACCC Mobile Infrastructure Report 2025 shows that as of 31 January 2025, there were 11,767 Telstra mobile sites, 9,391 Optus sites and 5,207 TPG Telecom sites in Australia.
The report also reported that Telstra continued to be the country's biggest mobile network operator in terms of infrastructure footprint, while the Optus-TPG Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) is now providing greater coverage across regional areas, enabling both companies to share network infrastructure.
International solutions to domestic roaming will also be taken into account. Domestic roaming has been regulated in Canada for a number of years, and New Zealand's approach is mostly through commercial agreements between carriers. These models will be included in the assessment of the Australian market with the models, conducted by the ACCC.
Regional Coverage and Competition in Focus
The importance of reliable mobile connectivity, network resilience and effective competition, especially out of metropolitan Australia, has grown in significance for households, businesses and communities, ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.
She said the inquiry will look at how regulation can help ensure that mobile services are more widely available, while continuing to deliver the right incentives for investment in mobile network infrastructure.
The opinion of the industry is split. Domestic roaming has always been a concern for Telstra, as it could impact investment incentives and congest networks in regional areas. TPG Telecom has welcomed wider infrastructure-sharing deals and Optus states it will be involved in the consultation process.
The inquiry follows the Australian Competition Tribunal's approval of the Optus-TPG regional network-sharing agreement announced in 2024, and coincides with regional industry groups advocating for greater mobile coverage in remote regions for agriculture, emergency services and regional businesses.
However, before making its final determination on wholesale mobile services, the ACCC will engage industry stakeholders, consumer organisations and other groups.
Source: InformationAGE
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
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