Submission – Effectiveness of telecommunications facilities and tower access regulations: issues

Indeed, the vast majority of individual submissions to this Review have highlighted both the role that mobile coverage plays in the economic productivity and social wellbeing of regional consumers, and conversely, the serious impacts that a lack of mobile reception can have when people need it most.’1 The importance placed on mobile connectivity by regional Australians is reflective of what is exp. [...] With this important context, the NFF provides the following comments in response to the Issues Paper: • The NFF is committed to advocating for regional communities to have accessible, reliable, cost-effective, resilient and quality telecommunications and connectivity services. [...] • The NFF supports efforts to ensure facilities and tower access regimes are fit for purpose and effectively facilitate competition and investment in the mobile services market for the benefit for rural, regional and remote consumers. [...] The NFF provides the attached submission as important context for the Department to utilise in their consideration of appropriate regulatory arrangements for access to mobile towers and facilities, including: • An overview of the NFF’s Connectivity and Digital Agriculture Policy (2023); • The importance of access to mobile communication services for Australian farmers; • Regional mobile communicat. [...] 12 Effectiveness of telecommunications facilities and tower access regulations – issues paper | April 2024 Conclusion The NFF thanks the Department for the opportunity to provide input to the consultation on the effectiveness of telecommunications facilities and tower access regulations.