Mandatory domestic roaming to be key focus of mobile coverage inquiry

Australia's competition regulator, the ACCC, will launch its own inquiry into mandatory domestic mobile roaming, a move aimed at improving mobile coverage in regional and remote areas. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will consider compelling telecommunications companies to allow all mobile users to access their networks when their own service is unavailable. This inquiry follows recommendations from the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review, which suggested the federal communications minister direct the ACCC to investigate the issue. Although a ministerial directive was not issued, the ACCC has decided to proceed independently. The regulator will also assess whether providers should share radio access network infrastructure, such as towers and equipment. "We have seen that there's a lot of change in the market, that the emergence of the satellite services provides the opportunity for direct to device services to mobile phones," said ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey. "There's also a lot of calls for domestic roaming, we have heard those."

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We have seen that there's a lot of change in the market, that the emergence of the satellite services provides the opportunity for direct to device services to mobile phones. There's also a lot of calls for domestic roaming, we have heard those.

Brakey emphasized the need for a thorough and consultative process to understand all issues and customer needs. Conditions have changed significantly since the ACCC's last inquiry in 2017, which found that roaming could reduce telco investment incentives. The current inquiry, expected to last about 12 months, will explore evolving mobile usage patterns, the state of market competition, the impact of regulation on investment, and the growing role of low-earth orbit satellite services. Forums will be held across regional and remote Australia. Consumer advocacy groups, including the Australia Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), the National Farmers Federation, and the National Rural Health Alliance, are pushing for immediate government intervention. ACCAN chief executive Carol Bennett stated that a bill before parliament could be amended to mandate domestic roaming. "For consumers, a reliable mobile connection means being able to stay in contact with family, friends, clients and emergency services," Bennett said. "A lengthy review risks delaying these benefits by years we don't have."

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What we want to do is work through in a really carefully and consultative way so that we understand all the issues, we understand the needs and that we make decisions and regulatory settings that will serve customers well into the future.

Federal Minister for Communications Anika Wells acknowledged the inquiry's timeliness, stating it would inform the government's implementation of its Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation policy. The push for mandatory roaming highlights the ongoing challenges of ensuring equitable mobile access across Australia, particularly for those living and working outside major urban centers. The ACCC's investigation aims to balance the needs of consumers for reliable connectivity with the commercial interests of telcos and the potential impact on network investment.

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For consumers, a reliable mobile connection means being able to stay in contact with family, friends, clients and emergency services.