Telstra and TPG have submitted a proposal to the ACCC which they say would benefit mobile service, choice, and competition in regional Australia, including here in Broken Hill.
There’s strong support from Broken Hill City Council, Central Darling Shire Council, Alliance of Western Councils (AWC), and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) for an arrangement where communications company TPG piggy-backs off Telstra infrastructure to give more mobile communications choice.
“We are calling on Broken Hill and regional Australia to have their voices heard and help address the increasing need for greater competition and choice of mobile services throughout the country,” says James Rickards of TPG Telecom.
Broken Hill City Council have thrown their support behind the proposal. In its submission to the ACCC they said, “infrastructure sharing in regional and rural Australia provides another tier in the nation’s ability to deal with blackspots and poor connectivity.
The residents and businesses of Broken Hill consistently report connectivity issues which impact on online business transactions including EFTPOS payments, and learning and delivery of events.”
The ACCC is seeking submissions from the public on the proposal, with a closing date of October 14.
