Thousands of Regional Telco Complaints Expose Australia’s Service Gap
Synopsis
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reviewed 27,882 complaints from rural, regional and remote Australians, finding systemic problems with mobile and telecommunications services and calling for a major regulatory overhaul.
Australia's telecommunications regulatory framework needs a comprehensive overhaul to improve services for regional, rural and remote communities, according to a new report by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).
The report, Left Behind: Experiences of Telco Consumers Living in Regional, Rural and Remote Australia, analysed 27,882 complaints lodged over the past two years. It found that unreliable mobile coverage, limited service choices and delayed fault resolution continue to affect millions of Australians outside major cities.
The TIO said piecemeal regulations have failed to keep pace with changing technology and called for stronger consumer protections, mandatory service standards and improved network resilience.
With around 7.4 million Australians living in regional and remote areas, the watchdog warned that poor connectivity is increasingly affecting public safety, economic productivity and access to essential services.
Poor Connectivity Continues to Affect Communities and Businesses
The report found that 44% of complaints from regional consumers are related to mobile services while landline issues remained significantly more common in metropolitan areas.
According to the TIO, unreliable networks have disrupted access to emergency services, particularly during power outages and natural disasters that damage telecommunications infrastructure. Poor mobile coverage has also affected businesses with farmers increasingly relying on connected technologies such as remote sensors and automated equipment that require stable network access.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said Australia's regulatory framework had evolved "piece by piece" over many years and now required a comprehensive review to meet modern connectivity needs.
Watchdog Calls for Stronger Service Standards
The TIO has made 11 recommendations, including mandatory service quality standards for mobile networks, faster repair timeframes for faulty infrastructure, automatic compensation for prolonged outages and a publicly accessible database showing available telecommunications services by location.
The report also recommends improving digital literacy, expanding public education on emergency communication options and introducing service standards for internet-based phone services.
Industry groups acknowledged that network expansion has also been slowed by complex approval processes. According to the Australian Telecommunications Alliance, telecommunications providers wait an average of 211 days for councils to assess applications for new mobile towers with some approvals taking up to 700 days.
While initiatives such as low earth orbit satellite services, the proposed Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) and expanded infrastructure sharing are expected to improve coverage, the TIO said regulatory reform remains essential to deliver reliable, affordable and resilient telecommunications services across regional Australia.
Source: Information Age
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