Great news for small-business owners who are based in, or travel to, remote or rural areas: the Government has just announced plans for a new Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO). This means that mobile carriers will be required to provide access to mobile voice and SMS almost anywhere in Australia.
Previously, a similar Universal Service Obligation applied to landline telephones and internet services. Now, it will cover phone calls and SMS services too.
“Whether it’s in national parks, hiking trails or out on the farm, outdoor coverage will be accessible almost anywhere where Australians can see the sky,” said Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
Up to 5 million square kilometers will be covered under the new obligation. The new connectivity will be implemented by late 2027, but according to Rowand, many Australians are likely to obtain access before then.
The Government will consider mandating universal basic mobile data coverage “in the future”. For now a Universal Service Guarantee (USG) mandates broadband access for all Australian homes, which we can expect to see upgraded under the Government’s $3 billion dollar plan to complete the building of the fibre NBN.
How will it work?
According to a statement by the Department of Infrastructure, mobile carriers will use their existing networks as well as emerging direct to device (D2D) mobile. The latter uses Low Earth Orbiting technology.
Rowland admits that the experience will be “different” compared to land mobile networks.
“The experience will be different to land mobile networks, but the benefits transformative, particularly for a large continent such as ours,” she sad.
Rowland added that the Government will work with both industry and the University of Technology Sydney to test device compatibility and experience.
