List of recommendations

Recommendation 1

1.83The committee recommends that the Australian Government establish a program to help customers that have lost mobile phone coverage since the 3G shutoff. This program should be co-funded between industry and government and be for the purpose of purchasing connectivity equipment for use by residents in rural and remote areas. For example, subsidies could be provided to purchase:

boosters for buildings and vehicles;

Starlink or other low-earth orbit satellite equipment, including access to mobile phone by Starlink services; and

replacements for equipment rendered obsolete by the 3G shutdown.

Recommendation 2

1.84The committee recommends that the Australian Government and the telecommunications industry do all they can to accelerate the introduction of mobile phone services via the Starlink network.

Recommendation 3

1.85The committee recommends that the Australian Government increase the scope of the National Audit of Mobile Coverage to include off-road areas (including on private land such as farming and grazing properties). This could be achieved by enabling technology for people to ‘pin’ the location where service is available. Data gathered should be cross-referenced with that of the mobile network operators and published in an easy-to-access format.