ABC Ballarat, Victorian Country Hour with Angus Verley

ANGUS VERLEY, HOST: The Federal Communications Minister says telecommunications providers need to step up and fulfil their commitments to customers following the 3G switch off. Dozens of rural residents have contacted us at the ABC in recent weeks to tell us that phone reception dropped off a cliff when 3G was switched off in October. Michelle Rowland says regulatory intervention is on the table if carriers don’t deliver what they promised.
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MICHELLE ROWLAND, MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS: We are aware that there are cases where people have lost reception, but I think this does two things: it highlights the importance of mobile coverage overall. And it’s not just for connectivity purposes – there’s a huge safety issue here in regional Australia. But secondly, whilst this is a commercial decision that the carriers have made, and it is important that we ensure that everyone in Australia has access to the best quality telecommunications services, the confidence that people have in their mobile operators and connectivity is really something that needs to be examined. So I have had the opportunity to look at a couple of those case studies that you’ve had, and I think there’s a couple of things here. Carriers have made commitments about having coverage equivalence after the switchover. I’m keeping a very close watch on this because if there’s systemic issues, and it sounds for some of them- like, people are obviously becoming very rightfully frustrated, and as consumers have every right to expect that when they purchase a service that it lives up to those representations. It really is something where the carriers need to step up. So I have incredible sympathy for these people who have indicated how they have been impacted.
 
I would encourage anyone who considers that their coverage has been degraded to complain to their carrier in the first instance. That's the way that our framework operates, because these telcos need to- you know, they market themselves as customer focused. They need to live up to that promise. I did undertake a debrief just before Christmas with the relevant regulators, agencies and the carriers, and the one thing that I did stress is the benefits of the 3G switchover is something that the carriers have pushed, and it's something that they really need to demonstrate happens in practise. So I'll continue to monitor this very closely. It's very useful to have those case studies that you've had, and your listeners can be assured that I'm raising them directly with the carriers. There is also a very key role for regulatory intervention if the carriers aren't lifting their game.
 
VERLEY: We did hear on the Country Hour from your opposition counterpart, David Coleman. He said, just to quote one line from him, he said: "The Communications Minister could have stopped the switch off if she were not completely satisfied the changeover wasn't ready, but she specifically chose not to." So should you have stopped or postponed that switch off?
 
ROWLAND: Well, again, let's be very clear: this is a commercial decision of the carriers that was commenced under the previous Government, of which that person was a member. The carriers made a decision themselves to postpone the implementation date of the switchover. This was done in an environment where I had established a Working Group between my department and industry, to make sure that this was done in the best way possible. So we'll have none of this nonsense about- if the Shadow Minister is proposing to reverse this switchover and to bring back 3G, he should clearly state whether that's his policy. But the reality is that this is a commercial decision that was made by the carriers, commenced under the previous Government. It's the responsibility of government to make sure that this is done in the safest way possible, which is what was done. It's now up to the carriers to ensure that they live up to those commitments that they made in terms of coverage equivalence. That's what is most important for people living in rural and regional areas who deserve access to the best communications services.
 
VERLEY: Minister, something that is happening in the background is a Senate standing committee is doing an inquiry into this and is expected to report back next month, I believe.
 
ROWLAND: Well, that is the case in the terms of the Senate undertaking that themselves. But let's also be clear, the switchover has occurred, and it is now for the carriers to really lift their game and ensure that they are providing the best services possible. People who live and work in rural and regional Australia deserve access to the best, and that's what the next generation of mobile services offer. The key here is to ensure that the carriers live up to their commitments and are actually being able to deliver.
 
VERLEY: As Telecommunications Minister, you've also got a relevant background, I believe, as a lawyer specialising in telecommunications. So for these customers, what right do they have to these services? Or what obligations do the telecoms companies have to provide them?
 
ROWLAND: Certainly. Well they've got an obligation under general consumer law, as a start, to be provided with a service as offered. So whether that conduct that is conducted by the carriers is misleading or deceptive is one where people can complain and demonstrate whether or not they have actually received products or services as was represented to them. I would most encourage your listeners, don't suffer in silence. Make a complaint. In the first instance, the complaint does need to be made to your carrier. If you are unsatisfied with that, complaints can be made to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. All of these processes are free, but I certainly, again, would implore your listeners if they’re being impacted, we need to know about it. The TIO wants to know about it, so make that complaint in the first instance. It is always open to the carriers as well to be able to assist and advice on what might be better equipment or better connectivity solutions. If you’re listeners are looking for that independent advice, again, I would urge them to contact the Regional Tech Hub. That is another program that is funded by the Government and is overseen by the National Farmers’ Federation. It’s one that’s done, as I said, independently, not for the purposes of any particular carrier. But they are there to provide independent advice on some of the best connectivity solutions.
 
But again, I very much appreciate when these individual issues are brought to attention, because it helps us as a Government being able to understand the systemic nature of some of these issues, pushing the carriers to do better, and escalating that for regulatory intervention where appropriate.
 
VERLEY: That was Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.