A replacement for the aging radio telephone system that thousands of rural Australian rely on is becoming a critical issue, according to the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association, and it’s one they say Telstra doesn’t have an answer for.
Queensland vice president, Louise Martin, has been on the warpath since attending the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee consultation in Longreach in early July.
Continuing the rural education lobby group’s concerns at state council delegations in Brisbane, Louise said she was staggered that nothing was in production to replace the 5000 to 6000 High Capacity Radio Concentrator landline telephone systems that are coming to the end of their life.
“We are hearing of stories of people waiting for weeks for someone to come and fix their phone,” Louise said. “We’ve also been told there are only two technicians left in the country that are capable of fixing them.”
When the HCRC system replaced DRCS phones 20 years ago, that was the peak technology at the time, Louise, Queensland ICPA’s communications spokesman, said, but is now fast becoming obsolete.
“There’s no state ICPA policy on this as such but there’s an overarching desire for communications needs to be met.
“As has often been said, we want a phone, a phone that works, and a phone that works all the time.”
Asked what Telstra’s replacement plan was, all area general manager, Darren Clark said was the company “continue(s) to implement and investigate new technologies that will deliver improved experiences for our customers under the USO”.
“Telstra has a long history of investing in regional Australia,” he said.
“Over the previous three financial years alone, Telstra has invested $2.2 billion in its regional mobile network so more Australians can experience a connected world that supports their way of life.
“As the company that offers more telecommunications solutions to rural and regional Australia than any other provider, we understand the importance of ensuring people are connected.”
Queensland ICPA’s universal service obligation adviser, Andy Pegler, said the HCRC system’s extended outages and lack of availability of parts was an ongoing issue for bush people with no access to mobile phone coverage.
“There’s certainly a need for future planning for what’s replacing it,” he said.
“People can get the NBN satellite, Sky Muster, (providing access to VoIP calls) but it alone is not a safe environment for rural users.
“Everyone agrees it’s a problem but no-one seems to have an answer.”
Andy said he’d been told in 2008 that the system had a lifespan of another five years, so it had the potential to become a critical issue.
“They can only source secondhand parts now so fixes are bandaid ones.”
The regional telecommunications review was announced in April by Regional Communications Minister, Bridget McKenzie.
The consultation phase concluded at the end of July and submissions closed on Sunday, and will now be assessed by a committee that includes north Queenslander, Kylie Stretton, NSW farmer and strategic marketer, Robbie Sefton, and Victorian dairy farmer, Paul Weller.
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