MEMBER for Mallee Andrew Broad has called on the consumer watchdog create a system where rural mobile phone users can make use of any tower regardless of its owner.
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Mr Broad lodged a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s domestic mobile roaming declaration inquiry, which was published on Wednesday.
Mr Broad told the inquiry that some farmers in the Wimmera Mallee were using two phones at once on different networks in an attempt to gain decent coverage.
“No person should have to, in today’s world, pay for and carry two phones to be able to make phone calls whilst out on their property,” Mr Broad stated.
“This is just ludicrous.”
Mr Broad stated constituents had told him they wanted national roaming.
“Everywhere I go across my electorate, people come to me with strong support for the idea and practicality of national roaming and are excited by the possibilities it could bring to their communities,” he stated
“The people of Mallee are becoming more and more disenchanted with Telstra and the services they are providing to our more regional areas.
“From the feedback I receive the people are sick of paying more yet receiving less.”
Telstra area general manager Steve Tinker has previously said telecommunications companies would have less commercial incentive to build new towers under national roaming.
“Strong competition is what drives companies like Telstra to invest in building the best mobile network,” he said.
“We have a long history of investment to expand world leading services in regional and remote Australia, including new technology and more base stations but imposing regulated roaming would put this ongoing investment under threat.
“The problem with regulated roaming is that it would completely undermine regional and remote investment.”