Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 2:41:32 to 2:47:50
Discussion on improving mobile coverage in regional areas, focusing on the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) and the activation of temporary disaster roaming capabilities.
Topics: Infrastructure, Drought and disaster support
Speakers: Ms Lisa La Rance, Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Mr David Mackay, Speaker 21, Unknown Speaker
Thanks, Chair. Um, I have some questions regarding regional resilience and coverage. No worries I'm interested in what we're doing to improve regional resilience and coverage, particularly against the context of the fires that affected Victoria 10 months ago, as you know, those were some of the worst fires in living memory, 440,000 hectares burnt, particularly bad in the Longwood region where 140,000 hectares burnt and there was a complete collapse of communications within a couple of days, catastrophic conditions. Deceed hampered the response and recovery is an understatement. Um I'm interested in it, but I'm also um speaking on behalf of my friend and colleague, Dr. Helen Haines, who has been a fierce advocate for improving regional connectivity and coverage. And um I was recently in that area and it has not recovered. There are still vast mountains and hillsides that are charred and burnt, and we're now um going into another high-risk weather period. Um so I'm interested in getting an update on where implementation is at with UOMO, um, what's happening with temporary disaster roaming, and um and then feel free to fill in the blanks. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator. You've covered a couple of things there. I'm Lisa Laurance, the first Assistant Secretary of Communications Systems and Services Division. So in relation to the universal outdoor mobile obligation, um, as you know when that takes effect, um, and the start date is currently the first of December 2027. That will mean that you will have mobile connectivity outdoors wherever you are in Australia for areas including the Indi um electorate, that will be um a game changer for people because there are areas that currently don't have um that coverage. The bill received royal assent yesterday. Um the next steps will be working through implementation. In relation to temporary disaster roaming, the um three mobile network operators have developed that capability. It um has been in effect since the first of October. Um I'm just looking at my colleague to make sure it hasn't yet been activated, but um it is capable and that will provide another means of um connectivity in cases where um my home network is not available and there is another operating network that can be used. Um there are some I guess caveats around that, including making sure that it doesn't um jeopardise the surviving network, that you still have some um connectivity and people being able to make emergency calls remains a priority, but that capability is up and running. I'll just check with Dr. Ashurst to see if there's anything that you would like to add.
Just before we we expand on that, Senator, I think it is just very important whenever we talk about temporary disaster roaming to be clear that it is separate from the emergency camp on facility for triple zero calling. Yes. And so where um where temporary disaster roaming is activated, one of the considerations that the mobile network operators um will be paying very careful attention to is that activating it doesn't put at risk the ability of surviving networks to carry triple zero calls. The emergency camp on facility operates wherever there is network coverage that would facilitate it, um, and that's not changed by the um availability of temporary disaster roaming. Um I I just think it's important that that people understand the two things are are separate.
Got it. So does that mean that um say compromise network, right? Or patchy compromised network that it will all they will privilege triple zero above um emergency other emergency calls, is that what it means?
Existing um requirements on network operators continue to prioritize the carriage of emergency calling traffic.
Got it. Okay.
But Dr. Ash may have something to add on on TDR. Thanks for your indulgence.
Thank you, Senator Jason Ashurst, Assistant Secretary, um telecommunications deployment preparedness branch. Um nothing further to add on TDR except to note perhaps that um where it is activated in order to make sure that the surviving network isn't overwhelmed or over congested. Um it will be providing voice and text, but there may be some limited data capability to make sure that that surviving network isn't an overly congested and continues to function, including to take triple zero calls where required.
So, how will you is the department communicating this to these uh regional communities who might be in high-risk areas?
So there's a range of different things I'd say there. As we said, it's an initiative that is led through the mobile network operators who uh um working with their um state-based contacts. Um we also work with our colleagues at the National Emergency Management Agency, and when it is um uh commonwealth level um emergency um raising TDR as a capability and an issue to see if it is something that is appropriate in those circumstances is something that we um are ready for going into the high-risk weather season or in the high-risk weather season.