ACCAN made a submission to the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) Round 5A Discussion Paper.

Lack of telecommunications connectivity denies regional, rural and remote communities the socio-economic benefits that people in metropolitan areas take for granted. Yet mobile network providers are now at a point where there is minimal return on investment for them in rural, remote and regional locations and there is little incentive for them to build infrastructure in these areas.

ACCAN made several recommendations to Government to improve the design of Round 5A, to encourage telecommunications development in remote areas. These include:

  • Provide incentives for Mobile Network Operators (MVOs) to invest in telecommunications networks in remote areas.
  • Provide incentives to telcos to grant full network access to Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in remote areas.
  • Split funding for tower and backhaul elements of the MBSP program to encourage competition and incentivise bids from open-access, carrier-neutral backhaul providers.
  • Make funding available to mobile network infrastructure providers to broaden potential solutions for servicing remote regions.
  • Funding for facilitators to help remote communities attract state government and third-party co-contributors and develop successful bids.

 

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