ACCAN has responded to the ACCC’s draft decision not to regulate mobile roaming across the three mobile networks (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone).

ACCAN supports the ACCC’s approach. The majority of our members in regional, rural and remote areas do not consider regulating roaming will stimulate more coverage and improved services, but at the same time they would welcome greater competition and choice of provider. Our submission identifies other ways the ACCC could support more competition.

Consumers need:

• More reliable information about mobile coverage than the maps currently produced by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone.
• Better tools to show what service coverage and quality they would get by using mobile service resellers (for example Boost, Amaysim, Virgin Mobile) compared to the underlying network.
• More information about network investment plans so communities can plan accordingly.
• More information sharing with government by the mobile networks to inform future policy approaches.

Our submission also suggests a review of current co-location and facilities sharing arrangements, and the strong need for ongoing government subsidies to expand mobile network coverage into less profitable areas. We also support a greater role for the ACCC in the management and allocation of spectrum.

Download: Submission to ACCC draft decision on domestic mobile roaming116.96 KB

Download: Submission to ACCC draft decision on domestic mobile roaming395.28 KB