Bid to improve regional connectivity

A new parliamentary inquiry into mobile infrastructure services across regional Australia will examine the benefits of ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers.

The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear about co-investment, a tool which would allow multiple providers to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers and related infrastructure.

The majority of mobile infrastructure is not co-located, especially in regional areas.

The rates of co-location for Australia’s major mobile providers dramatically decline as you move from urban to regional and remote areas, to as low as 4.8 per cent in very remote areas

Multi-carrier mobile towers would allow for greater connectivity, something which committee chairman Brian Mitchell said was critical to regional development.

“It is particularly important that we hear directly from our rural, regional and remote communities to hear their views on connecting and staying connected to telecommunications infrastructure,” Mr Mitchell said. Better connectivity: Co-investment means multiple providers could invest in ‘multicarrier’ mobile towers, improving regional connectivity. Photo: Rodney Braithwaite