Calls are intensifying for Australia to mandate domestic mobile phone roaming, a move proponents argue would enhance mobile coverage, particularly for regional residents, and foster greater price competition among telecommunications providers. Consumer advocacy group ACCAN has released a report indicating strong public support for the measure, which would permit mobile users to connect to a different network when outside their primary provider’s coverage area.

Advocates Push for Domestic Roaming Mandate

The Australian Communications Consumer Advocacy Network (ACCAN) reports that 73 percent of Australians favour mandatory domestic roaming. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett highlighted a disparity between international visitors, who can typically roam, and Australians who often cannot access services when travelling within their own country. “The Australian community think that this is a no-brainer,” Bennett stated, emphasizing the perceived simplicity and benefit of the proposal.

The issue resonates in regional areas like Gundagai, a town on the Hume Highway that frequently experiences mobile service disruptions. Matt Lucas, co-owner of a local cafe, noted that intermittent outages, such as those anticipated during upcoming tower upgrades, significantly impact travellers and their ability to patronize local businesses. “So, if they’re in town and they’re unable to have any mobile coverage with Telstra whilst they’re here, that’s going just to impact their ability to spend money in the town,” Lucas explained.

Grant Bambling, an electrician in the same town, suggested that domestic roaming would be a logical step for a country of Australia’s vast size. While some residents expressed a preference for occasional disconnection, others underscored their reliance on consistent mobile service for work and daily life.

Evolving Market Conditions and Regulatory Scrutiny

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) previously examined domestic roaming in 2017, ultimately deciding against a mandate. At that time, the ACCC believed it could dampen investment incentives for network operators and might not lead to lower prices. However, the telecommunications landscape has evolved significantly since then.

Recent developments include a 2024 agreement between Optus and TPG to share network infrastructure and spectrum in regional Australia, following the ACCC’s earlier blockage of a Telstra-TPG network sharing proposal. Furthermore, a 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review recommended the implementation of temporary disaster roaming capabilities during emergencies, a measure currently under development by the government and telcos for the 2026-2027 emergency season.

The same review also proposed that the government either direct the ACCC to conduct a new inquiry into domestic roaming or empower the regulator to initiate one independently. In response, Federal Minister for Communications Anika Wells indicated that the government is incorporating the review’s findings into new policies, such as the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO), but did not directly address questions regarding a domestic roaming mandate.

While declining an interview, an ACCC spokesperson acknowledged the growing momentum behind mandatory roaming. The regulator pointed to substantial technological shifts since 2017, including the decommissioning of 2G and 3G networks, the rollout of 5G, increased dependence on mobile services, a decline in landline usage, and the emergence of satellite-to-handset technology. “We can assure consumers that we are carefully considering the impact of these on the state of the mobiles market and whether regulatory intervention is warranted,” the ACCC stated.

Industry Perspectives on Roaming

Major telecommunications companies offered varied perspectives. Telstra maintained that the competitive and investment concerns raised in 2017 remain relevant. A spokesperson argued that domestic roaming would not have prevented a recent nationwide outage, suggesting that adding millions of extra users to unaffected networks could overload them.

Optus acknowledged that domestic roaming could offer improved consumer choice and competition, especially in regional areas. “While there are challenges to address — many of which have been identified by government and industry in the past — exploring its suitability in the current network environment is worth renewed consideration,” an Optus spokesperson commented.

TPG, which operates Vodafone in Australia, stated that the discussion around mandatory roaming was “a decade too late,” having supported it previously. A spokesperson noted its primary relevance in regional areas, contrasting with dense metropolitan zones where spectrum is already highly utilized.

Independent telecommunications analyst Paul Budde suggested that enhancing network resilience through interconnectedness could be a solution. “We have to start looking at a better infrastructure whereby you link the networks together so that if something happens on one network, you automatically go to the other network,” Budde advised. “It is doable, but somebody will have to bite the bullet and start looking at it.”

Economic and Regional Impacts of Coverage Gaps

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has previously identified Australia’s mobile prices as high and service quality as comparatively poor, citing domestic roaming in countries like Canada as a factor in better outcomes. Price increases from Australian network operators have consistently outpaced inflation, significantly affecting consumers, according to the ACCC’s latest Communications Market Report.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett reiterated the call for mandated roaming, asserting, “It would create greater competition, and greater competition would drive down prices.”

The challenges are particularly acute in rural and remote Australia, where mobile service is often less reliable. Sophie Heinjus, a resident of Ladysmith in the NSW Riverina, described how limited coverage, often restricted to a single provider, forces locals onto expensive plans and hinders economic growth. She recounted instances where businesses and visitors could not complete transactions due to incompatible mobile networks.

Economist Sasha Lennon emphasized that inadequate digital connectivity acts as a significant barrier for regional communities. “It really hamstrings businesses who are operating in the bush or operating in regional and rural Australia who just simply can’t connect to the rest of the world as we do in the city and often take for granted,” Lennon said. She added that unreliable services deter people from moving to or remaining in regional centres, impacting their ability to access essential daily services.

Residents like Heinjus expressed a desire for a straightforward solution: enabling users of different networks to access available infrastructure. “If people were able to use their Optus phones or other telcos out here and just use the Telstra tower, then that would solve the problem completely,” she stated.