Collaboration is the key if telecommunications opportunities are to be made the most of, according to Maranoa MP David Littleproud in the wake of a communications forum organised by himself in Dalby this week.
The forum, which saw senior executives from Telstra, Optus and Vodaphone sitting around a table together, along with local government leaders and business, primary production and education advocacy groups, was described as “a rare meeting opportunity” in which challenges and possible solutions were shared.
Mr Littleproud said everything – phone coverage, service obligations, data drought and cost – was on the table as the unique telecommunications challenges faced in his rural electorate, which spans 42 per cent of Queensland, were aired at the gathering of 50 people.
As an example of the cooperative spirit of the night, he said Vodaphone “reached out” to Red Wifi, a small internet provider in regional southern Queensland that streams wireless internet and offers unlimited data.
According to Mr Littleproud, an outcome of a review by the Australian Communications and Media Authority could see the company lose the digital spectrum access they need.
“If they go to 5G, it will take the spectrum Red Wifi wants to use, but Vodaphone said they had some to spare,” he said.
“There were some micro-solutions there too. I think everyone needs to take stock on what’s out there and what’s needed to improve.
“It’s up to us as a government to partner with local government, to identify assets and use them for co-investment infrastructure.
“The rubber has really got to hit the road now by the telcos, they’ve got to do their part.
“It’s up to me to hold them to account, to try and open up avenues so consumers have choice.”
Domestic roaming
In a separate item published by Fairfax Agricultural Media this week, the issue of “domestic roaming” or allowing all carriers access to existing communications infrastructure in the bush, was canvassed.
It notes that at present, Telstra provides the vast majority of regional Australia’s mobile coverage, for its own customers only, but Vodafone Hutchison Australia wants to see “domestic roaming”, whereby mobile customers’ calls could be relayed through any available rural network, in an arrangement similar to that which applies when making calls while travelling overseas.
Vodafone says Telstra’s extensive coverage (over 2.4 million square kilometres, via about 8500 transmission sites) uses infrastructure built with considerable government support.
Mr Littleproud, an outspoken advocate for roaming, said the issue had been discussed at the forum.
“The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will hand down a report on roaming,” he said. “They are the independent umpire, and we’ll abide by that. It’s in their hands.”
In the past he has said he was disturbed to learn that the billion of dollars received from taxpayers under the Telecommunications Universal Service Obligation, which mandates every Australian have access to a telephone service, has been used by Telstra to treat every fixed-line customer as a TUSO connection, even when the connection is commercially viable.
“To me, the spirit of this agreement was to subsidise coverage in areas where it wasn’t commercially viable but here’s Telstra claiming the TUSO on every connection regardless of whether you’re in Brisbane or Birdsville.
“I’m also alarmed by the lack of transparency as Telstra isn’t required to report on the number of non-commercial services or on the costs of any telephone service it supplies.”
Universal service
One of the topics Mr Littleproud has been very vocal on has been Telstra’s use of the money it receives from the federal government for its part in the Universal Service Obligation, which he says isn’t working because “we’re simply not seeing this agreement being invested in rural and remote communities – where it’s most needed”.
“This forum enabled an open and honest discussion, nothing was off limits and we had a very frank discussion relating to the unacceptable cost and service variation between city and the regions.
“If we had reliable telecommunications in the bush to grow our business, educate our children and better support our health system – our potential would be unparalleled.
“Especially when recognising the contribution rural communities make to the national economy because, here in Maranoa, we contribute more per capita GDP than the Gold Coast, Toowoomba or Townsville.
“Better telecommunications is one of my key election commitments, that’s why I facilitated this meeting so the major telcos visited Maranoa and were available to our community to discuss these important issues across my electorate.”
The comments build on his earlier statement that he believed “a major shake-up” regarding telecommunications was going to happen, as the Productivity Commission’s TUSO recommendations will be submitted to the federal government on April 28, and the ACCC is also set to hand-down its national roaming report in the new year.