HOST ADAM STEPHEN: Big news for anyone who’s ever struggled with a mobile signal outside of town. The Federal Government is taking steps to ensure that outdoor mobile coverage reaches almost everywhere on the continent. How though? How in the world could that be the case? I spoke to the Federal Communications Minister, Anika Wells, about this legislation that they’ve released for public consultation, which could change connectivity in Australia forever. 

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MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS ANIKA WELLS: I would suspect many of your listeners have felt those gaps personally and particularly during times of natural disaster when you need connectivity the most. I think everyone’s heard the PM say, no Australian should be left behind. It is, in the most isolated continent on earth, absolutely crucial that all Australians have connectivity. That’s a priority for us. And today’s announcement and the release of the consultation process for our new legislation for our universal services obligation means that more Australians will be able to get better coverage. And it will ultimately be a case that, if you can see the sky, you should be able to use your phone to call or text. 

STEPHEN: How will that work? 

WELLS: So, that’ll be a combination of the existing providers extending their coverage, but also using D2D or Direct-to-Device technology. But I guess the big thing that’s underpinning all of this is the rollout of satellite coverage. So we’ve just signed a deal - the NBN has - with Amazon’s Project Kuiper. That will ensure the continuity of broadband internet services. There’re about 75,000 premises out there who currently use SkyMuster, but there’s about 307,000 eligible premises in the satellite footprint. So, having those low-orbit satellites means that we’ll be able to extend connectivity to places that people have never experienced it before.

STEPHEN: So, what you’re saying, Minister, is if this ends up going through, this legislation, and is acted on that it doesn’t matter which mobile provider you’re with, if you can see the sky in Australia you should be able to make calls at least, at the very least.

WELLS: Make calls and text.

STEPHEN: Okay.

WELLS: Yeah, make calls and text. And obviously we have great hope that we’ll extend that further in due course, but the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligations which I hope to bring forward in legislation soon, and we’ve begun the consultation process. And I welcome feedback from your listeners about what that looks like for them and if they see any gaps still remaining means, that’s right, if you can see the sky, you should be able to call or text from nearly everywhere across the country.

STEPHEN: Why do you see this being crucial or critical during times of extreme weather?

WELLS: Well, I’m a Queenslander myself. You and I and your listeners are no strangers to regular natural disasters, particularly over the summer. And whilst we do everything we can, I know that people haven’t found it to be enough when it matters so we have to keep working on connectivity. It’s a huge priority of the Government.

STEPHEN: So, we had mobile coverage out for about a week in the Hinchinbrook area during the floods earlier this year in North Queensland. Though, with the really heavy cloud cover and those big rain events, Minister, could it still be the case that even the Low Earth Orbital satellites may not be able to provide coverage under certain conditions?

WELLS: That’s not what I’ve been advised. The idea is that they are the new technology. They will transform how we are able to do connectivity in the regions, in the rural and remote areas in particular, moving away from standing infrastructure that everybody’s used to. It’s emerging technology. It should be able to do more than probably what we even imagine so far. But we’ve got to get it online as quickly as possible so that people, whether you’re on farm, whether you’re on country, or whether you’re facing a natural disaster, you actually have it when you need it. 

And I think on that point specifically, I’ve been working with the energy ministers led by the Federal Climate Change Minister around preparedness for natural disasters. Because I know a lot of your listeners would have had problems with both energy and connectivity. And it is tricky intersectional work, but we have to do it.

STEPHEN: Well, they go hand in hand, right? Because what ends up happening is, and this happened in Ingham and in other places, the mobile tower goes out because of the power going out. So, it has a backup generator but when that runs out of fuel if they can’t get back to refuel it, which they often can’t in really inclement weather, then you’re without mobile and power, and that becomes a big problem.

WELLS: And it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation, so we’ve got to fix it. And that’s why people like myself are now getting together in unprecedented ways with the state energy ministers to try and iron this out.

STEPHEN: Communications Minister Anika Wells running us through draft legislation for Labor’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation which has been released for consultation. It would mean that outdoor coverage should be accessible almost anywhere in Australia where you can see the sky. You say almost anywhere. Have you been advised there will be some parts of Australia where there still won’t be the coverage with the Low Orbital Satellites?

WELLS: Yeah. And I also just don’t want to promise something with 100 per cent effectiveness when it is still tech that we’re rolling out. But it will be really meaningful. It’s up to five million square kilometres of new outdoor mobile coverage to people who currently don’t get it, and that will include over 37,000 kilometres on regional roads.

STEPHEN: So, you’re saying, not all the bells and whistles, but if your mobile provider doesn’t have coverage and you break down in the middle of nowhere, but you can see the sky, you should be able to make a call at the very least?

WELLS: Call or text, yes. And they will need to provide that to you because it’s an obligation, it’s Australian law once we pass it.

STEPHEN: So, that would be a big change, Anika Wells. You will be consulting with the telcos. Do you foresee there’ll be any pushback?

WELLS: They’re well aware that this is where we’re going and they’ve been aware for some time. And while the legislation is now open for consultation so that we can put it to the Parliament and go through that process, we’ve put the draft out today so that people can have a real look at the ins and outs of it all, and we can get it as good as we can to get it through the Parliament as quickly as possible.

STEPHEN: This all came as a response to your Regional Telecommunications Review from last year. What did it actually identify?

WELLS: Well, UOMO, are the major part of it - the biggest thing that we can do to improve connectivity in the bush. There were 14 recommendations that came out of that review, and we’ve already made some solid progress against several of them. But what those findings highlight really, to your question, was the rapid rate of change and innovation across technology and the telecommunications sector. So, whilst we continue to invest across existing programs to boost terrestrial mobile coverage when we’ve got significant investments to upgrade the NBN, we are signing those new deals and working on the LeoSat technology to make it better and to get to the highest reach of places.

STEPHEN: What are the types of things you want to hear from the community about this legislation?

WELLS: It’s communities, particularly in regional, rural and remote places up in the Cape, up in the Torres Strait, up in disaster-prone areas that need this most. And, like you say, they’re the ones that see where the gap occurs. Where maybe power companies are obliged and try to do this, federal and state and local governments try and do that. Where does the crevice still appear? So, that lived experience, I guess, is what I would welcome from your listeners.

STEPHEN: Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells speaking about this draft legislation, the Government’s Outdoor Universal Mobile Obligation. The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation that’s hoping to deliver coverage almost anywhere Australians can see the sky.