A parliamentary inquiry will hear how the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA’s) management of radiofrequency spectrum may impact on regional mobile phone coverage.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 30 November 2022

A parliamentary inquiry will hear how the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA’s) management of radiofrequency spectrum may impact on regional mobile phone coverage. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear how ACMA oversees more than 170,000 commercial, government and individual licensees operating in Australia at a public hearing today (30 November) for its parliamentary inquiry into co‑investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure. Spectrum is a key input for the delivery of wireless broadband (fixed and mobile), satellite and broadcasting services, according to ACMA. With relevant spectrum capable of providing national coverage currently licensed to each of the three mobile carriers, ACMA’s submission to the inquiry states that spectrum availability and access is not a current barrier to terrestrial mobile network expansion. Committee Chair, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, outlined the Committee will be seeking ACMA’s views on access to spectrum if co-investment looms as the best tool to encourage multiple telecommunications providers in regional areas to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers to improve the range and reliability of their services. Public hearing Witness: Australian Communications and Media Authority Time and date: 12:40pm AEDT 30 November Location: Committee Room 1R6 Parliament House Canberra The inquiry’s terms of reference and information about the Committee may be found on the Committee’s webpage. Media inquiries Office of Mr Brian Mitchell MP: (03) 6263 3721 For background information on the inquiry process Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4386 communications.reps@aph.gov.au

Finding collaborative ways to fund improvements to mobile infrastructure services across regional Australia will be the focus of the opening public hearing today (23 November) with one of the nation’s largest telecommunications tower companies Indara Digital Infrastructure.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 23 November 2022

Finding collaborative ways to fund improvements to mobile infrastructure services across regional Australia will be the focus of the opening public hearing today (23 November) with one of the nation’s largest telecommunications tower companies Indara Digital Infrastructure. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence from Indara for its parliamentary inquiry into co‑investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure. Committee Chair, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, outlined the majority of mobile infrastructure was not co-located, especially in regional areas. The Committee wants to better understand why the rates of co-location for Australia’s major mobile providers dramatically decline as they move from urban to regional and remote areas. The Committee will be seeking Indara’s views on whether co-investment is the best tool to encourage multiple telecommunications providers in regional areas to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers to improve the range and reliability of their services. Public hearing Witness: Indara Digital Infrastructure Time and date: 12:40pm AEDT 23 November Location: Committee Room 1R6 Parliament House Canberra The inquiry’s terms of reference and information about the Committee may be found on the Committee’s webpage. Media inquiries Office of Mr Brian Mitchell MP: (03) 6263 3721 For background information on the inquiry process Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4386 communications.reps@aph.gov.au

Mobile infrastructure services across regional Australia will be the focus of a new parliamentary inquiry. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence on co investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 18 October 2022

Mobile infrastructure services across regional Australia will be the focus of a new parliamentary inquiry. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence on co‑investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure. Committee Chair, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, said ‘co-investment is a tool which would allow multiple telecommunications providers in regional areas to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers and related infrastructure, to improve services.’ The majority of mobile infrastructure is not co-located, especially in regional areas. The rates of co-location for Australia’s major mobile providers dramatically decline as you move from urban to regional and remote areas, to as low as 4.8 per cent in very remote areas. Mr Mitchell added, ‘connectivity and infrastructure are critical drivers of regional development. It is particularly important that we hear directly from our rural, regional and remote communities to hear their views on connecting and staying connected to telecommunications infrastructure.’ The terms of reference are available from the inquiry webpage. Submissions can also be made through the webpage, or by email to communications.reps@aph.gov.au until 10 November 2022. Information about the Committee may be found on the Committee’s webpage. Media inquiries Office of Mr Brian Mitchell MP: (03) 6263 3721 For background information on the inquiry process Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4386 communications.reps@aph.gov.au

Mobile infrastructure services will be the focus of a new parliamentary inquiry. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence on co-investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 28 September 2022

Mobile infrastructure services will be the focus of a new parliamentary inquiry. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence on co-investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure. Committee Chair, Mr Brian Mitchell MP, said ‘co-investment is a tool which would allow multiple telecommunications providers to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers and related infrastructure.’ Mr Mitchell added, ‘mobile phone accessibility is an important component for all Australians and communities, particularly in regional areas. This inquiry will investigate opportunities and challenges for mobile infrastructure across the nation.’ The Committee will receive evidence on community views of mobile infrastructure, the cost and feasibility of single-carrier versus multi-carrier mobile infrastructure, and how existing examples of multi-carrier providers might be applied in the Australian context. ‘The majority of mobile infrastructure is not co-located, especially in regional areas. The rates of co-location for Australia’s major mobile providers dramatically decline as you move from urban to regional and remote areas, from 92.9 per cent in major cities to as low as 4.8 per cent in very remote areas’, said Mr Mitchell. The Committee is particularly interested in hearing from businesses, organisations and individuals living in our communities located in regional, rural, and remote areas of Australia. The terms of reference are available from the inquiry webpage. Submissions can also be made through the webpage, or by email to communications.reps@aph.gov.au until 10 November 2022. Information about the Committee may be found on the Committee’s webpage. Media inquiries Office of Mr Brian Mitchell MP: (03) 6263 3721 For background information on the inquiry process Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4386 communications.reps@aph.gov.au