REGIONAL CONNECTIVITY AND MOBILE BLACK SPOT PROGRAM

Federal
Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien is encouraging telecommunication companies to
extend mobile phone coverage and improve communication networks in Wide Bay through
the Australian Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.

“With the threat of natural disasters in Wide Bay like
bushfires and floods, and our many dangerous roads, it’s important that people
can get the call out for help when they need to contact emergency
services,” Mr O’Brien said.

“We also need to make sure that families and businesses
can connect and communicate, so it’s important for the Government to keep on
working with telecommunication companies to extend and improve the mobile phone
and broadband networks throughout Wide Bay.”

The new Regional Connectivity and
Mobile Black Spots Grants program supports network operators to extend
communications coverage to rural and regional locations with low or no
coverage.  

Licensed telecommunications carriers,
or a consortium made up of a carrier, state or local governments, regional
development bodies, or industry, business, or community groups can apply for
funding to deliver new place-based or improved broadband and mobile services in
regional areas.

A project noticeboard has been
established to assist communities to form partnerships with the
telecommunications sector to develop applications for funding, and project
proposals can be uploaded to the noticeboard by 31 May 2023. Further information is
available at www.infrastructure.gov.au/mbsp

Potential applicants are encouraged
to contact their local council and their telecommunications carrier to
identify coverage and connectivity issues.

“Hopefully, this funding round is
different to the previous Black Spot funding allocated by the Albanese
Government, which only funded four locations in Queensland and none in Wide
Bay.  In contrast the former Coalition Government extended the mobile
network to 19 locations across the Wide Bay electorate.”

“In the last funding round, three
quarters of the locations personally selected by the Minister were in Labor
electorates, even though we know the greatest need is in regional areas, more
often represented by the Coalition.  NSW got 27 grants – all in Labor
seats.”

Applications for funding under the
Mobile Black Spot Program Round 7 are open to
Mobile Network Operators and Mobile Network Infrastructure Providers and close
on 31 May 2023.