The Albanese Government has today announced successful grant outcomes to fulfil election commitments to improve mobile coverage and quality in identified locations across regional Australia.
A total of $37.2 million in Commonwealth funding has been awarded under the Improving Mobile Coverage Round (IMCR). The IMCR attracted $28.8 million in industry co-investment.
The grants will build 41 new base stations to improve mobile coverage at 42 target locations identified as having unreliable service by the now-Government when in Opposition.
Grant applications were independently assessed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (the Department) against the Program’s Grant Opportunity Guidelines.
The Minister has accepted all value for money recommendations made by the Department.
The IMCR did not result in solutions for 12 target locations, however four of these locations are expected to receive coverage improvements through projects that are already approved and funded across the Regional Connectivity and Peri-Urban Mobile Programs, or through commercial solutions.
Of the 12 target locations not addressed by the IMCR:
- Five locations did not receive applications;
- Four locations received applications which the Department assessed as being too expensive and not delivering value for money; and
- Three locations received applications that did not satisfy the technical coverage or solution requirements of the guidelines.
Within the remaining $2.8 million in grant funding for the IMCR, options are being considered to further test industry solutions for two of the three locations that did not meet technical coverage requirements, but where Departmental advice indicates there is a reasonable prospect that a value for money solution may exist.
This dedicated round was funded in the October 2022 Federal Budget and delivers on the Government’s election commitments to co-invest with Mobile Network Operators and Infrastructure Providers to deploy new mobile infrastructure at target locations across Australia.
In addition to this dedicated election commitment round, the Albanese Government is working to improve regional coverage through its $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia.
The Plan commits $400 million to expand mobile coverage and improve communications resilience, including investment to fund future rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program, and $200 million to fund place-based communications solutions through additional rounds of the Regional Connectivity Program.
Under the Plan, the Government is also conducting an independent audit of mobile coverage to better identify mobile coverage black spots to guide future investment. A request for tender for the audit was recently opened.
A full list of funded locations under the IMCR is available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/mbsp. The rollout schedule will be published on the carriers’ websites once the contracts have been executed.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:
“The Albanese Government has an ambitious agenda to narrow the digital divide in rural and regional Australia – including by improving mobile coverage.
“These successful grant outcomes will deliver improved coverage and quality of service for regional and remote communities, motorists and tourists in 42 target areas.
“We identified these communities as having unreliable service or coverage issues when we were in Opposition, and now we’re delivering.
“The Government has accepted all Departmental advice, including value for money recommendations, and intends to undertake further market testing of two sites the Department believes may reach a value for money outcome.
“The Improving Mobile Coverage Round is a small part of our Government’s work to improve regional communications, and comes in addition to our $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan – the most significant investment in regional communications since the inception of the NBN”.
