The seven million Australians who live and work in regional, rural and remote Australia are being "left behind" by telecommunications services, according to a new report released today by the industry ombudsman .
Author
- Mark A Gregory
Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University
The report comes only weeks after an outage on the Telstra network crippled services across the country . It reveals people living outside the major cities sometimes have to wait months for technicians to fix issues and are unable to contact emergency services when they need help.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Cynthia Gebert, said :
This report reflects what we continue to hear: how hard it can be to stay connected, and how much is at stake when telecommunications services fail.
Her ideas for what needs to be done to fix this are a good start.
Analysing more than 26,000 complaints
The ombudsman analysed 26,972 complaints received over the past two financial years from consumers living in regional, rural and remote areas. She closely reviewed a sample of more than 2,000 of these complaints and delivered four key findings.
First, many of the complaints were similar to issues experienced in urban areas. But remoteness and limited alternatives meant the issues were harder and took longer to resolve.
Second, mobile coverage in the regions is poor and connectivity is unreliable. The ombudsman noted that, for some, the Australian Communications and Media Authority's new rules on standardised coverage maps might help resolve coverage concerns.
Third, people living outside the cities have limited options when it comes to choosing a technology type and plan that is appropriate for them. Adding to this is the fact there is often a lack of access to a reliable power supply, plus a lack of knowledge about what services and technologies are available.
Finally, planned and unplanned outages create significant risks to people's safety and their businesses.
A complete overhaul is needed
The ombudsman made 12 recommendations to address these problems. Chief among them is "an overhaul of how telecommunications services are regulated". Specifically, she has called on the federal government to undertake a comprehensive review of the entire regulatory framework.
The review should be aimed at reducing complexity and ensuring equitable access to essential telecommunication services. Gerbert said :
While the telecommunications sector has evolved significantly in response to technological innovation and changing market dynamics, the industry's regulations have developed piece by piece.
On top of this, she recommended telco companies pause charges when consumers are waiting for a technician to install or repair a service. She called for a review of current telco authentication obligations which can force consumers to travel vast distances to physical stores for assistance. She also called for the introduction of individual remedies for significant delays in accessing mobile services.
Among the ombudsman's other recommendations was for the government to develop an independent database where consumers can check what services are available to them, and establish Statutory Infrastructure Provider (SIP) service standards.
A SIP is a telecommunications carrier designated to supply broadband connections to premises in particular areas. The most common is NBN Co, which oversees the National Broadband Network.
Remedies should be made available to consumers when standards are not met, the ombudsman. said.
Where to from here?
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recently announced a year-long inquiry into regional mobile coverage across Australia. This will include domestic roaming and a radio access network service.
In the past month calls for the government to act on domestic roaming have been growing. These calls have come from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network , the National Farmers Federation and other community groups.
Domestic roaming would have many benefits. It would improve access, coverage, reliability, performance and competition - particularly in regional, rural and remote areas.
It's well past time for a "Telecommunications Act 2027". Even before the ombudsman's new report, it was evident the current legislation is not fit for purpose.
Service standards, including improved compensation when standards are not met, are vital. This must be a focus moving forward. The ombudsman's report into the experiences of telecommunications consumers living outside major Australian cities increases pressure on the government to act.
Mark A Gregory has previously received funding from Australian Research Council, .au Domain Administration and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.
