Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield and Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor today provided assurances to regional residents that current fixed telephone services will be maintained in rural and regional areas. 

The Government has released an updated Universal Service Guarantee, which gives Australians guaranteed access to broadband and voice services, while ensuring current fixed telephone and payphone services are maintained in rural and remote areas.

Government research has shown that while savings could be made in the delivery of voice services using new technologies in rural and remote areas, moving away from the existing copper and wireless networks in nbn’s fixed wireless and satellite areas, at this time, would create concerns for rural and remote customers.

Following 12 months of analysis and consultation, the Government has decided to retain the use of Telstra copper and wireless networks in rural Australia for the provision of voice services in nbn fixed wireless and satellite areas. There will continue to be a strong focus on service reliability.

Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield said the arrangements would provide certainty for rural residents.

“We have listened to regional Australians and heard the importance of maintaining existing copper and wireless networks for fixed voice calls. I thank everyone who took the time to provide their views on this critical issue.

“We will not make changes that affect regional Australians until there are robust and proven alternatives,” Minister Fifield said.

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said the new guarantee strengthened the Government's commitment to regional telecommunications services. 

"Connectivity remains one of the top issues for businesses and households in Hume. That’s why this Government is prioritising the rollout of mobile and broadband services in our regions and why I will continue to fight for improved services in our communities,” Mr Taylor said.

More than 98 per cent of premises outside major urban areas can now order an NBN service or have construction underway.

The report summarising the USG work is available on the Department of Communications and the Arts website.

Background:

Telstra currently provides around 600,000 voice services in nbn’s fixed wireless and satellite footprint under the USO contract, primarily over the copper network but also using wireless networks like the High Capacity Radio Concentrator (HCRC) and Next G Wireless Link (NGWL) systems.

The Coalition Government is delivering improved communications for regional Australians through:

• Improved Sky Muster offerings: NBN Co Limited (NBN Co) recently announced the development of a new Sky Muster Plus product which will give consumers access to an unmetered monthly data allowance for web‑browsing, email and software updates from 2019. NBN Co is also consulting closely with regional stakeholders to develop targeted Sky Muster services for regional education and health facilities. In 2017, NBN Co doubled maximum monthly wholesale data limits and increased peak download allowances by 50 per cent for Sky Muster services.

• Improved mobile coverage: Rural and remote Australians are benefiting from improved mobile coverage through the Government’s $220 million Mobile Black Spot Program, which has already delivered 631 base stations across the country.

• Strengthened consumer safeguards: The Government is now consulting on new arrangements to improve the reliability of telecommunications services through the Consumer Safeguards Review.