Grants to improve mobile phone and internet coverage will end in 2026-27 under the Federal Budget released last week, according to Grey MP Rowan Ramsey.
He said it would come at a particularly bad time, with the 3G network being cut off this year likely to highlight further areas without coverage.
However, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Mr Ramsey was wrong and that the papers showing the funding ended then only reflected that it was a five-year-funding plan established in October 2022.
Mr Ramsey said it was imperative that people living in regions had reliable mobile service and better connectivity, with Eyre Peninsula having many areas of no or poor mobile phone coverage – including large sections of Eyre Highway – particularly west of Wudinna.
“This is a huge blow for the regions and could not come at a worse time as we expect new gaps in the network to open up when the 3G network is shut down in the coming months,” he said.
“For our entire time in government, the Coalition ran a mobile phone program co-funding mobile black spots demonstrating our commitment to addressing the disparities in service between cities and the regions.
“The Coalition allocated $380 million over six rounds which helped fund 51 blackspot towers in Grey. Additionally we allocated $257m to the Regional Connectivity Program funding 10 excellent communications projects in Grey worth millions of dollars.”
He said the announcement the Mobile Blackspots and the Regional Connectivity programs funding would end was “buried deep on page 220 of the budget”.
“Both programs are not funded beyond 2026-27,” he said.
Minister Rowland said the Mobile Black Spot Program was an important program that continued to support regional, remote, and First Nations’ communities through co-funding new and improved mobile connectivity.
“The program has not been cut, and we are delivering funding to the program through our $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan,” she said.
“This is a separate appropriation line in the budget papers, to the funding of earlier rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program and the government’s election commitment funding.”
She said the federal government had already delivered a number of program rounds through this Better Connectivity Plan funding.
These included a round of each of the Mobile Black Spot, Regional Connectivity, and On Farm Connectivity programs.
It had also delivered a Telecommunications Disaster Resilience Innovation and Broadcasting Resilience Program, an extension to the Regional Tech Hub services, and the National Audit of Mobile Coverage.
She said the further funding was available in the Better Connectivity Plan for new rounds of the black spot with round eight expected to open later this year.
“In addition, the government has established the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review to examine the adequacy of regional Australia’s telecommunications, including hearing from people in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia,” she said.
“The government has also been consulting publicly over the past six months on modernising the universal services arrangements.
“While this work is ongoing, the government continues to deliver on its commitments through the Better Connectivity Plan – including further rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program.”
