Filling in communication blackspots

With more than 30 years’ experience in the telecommunication industry, Mr Mangano said working in the Wheatbelt he found little coverage and not much action.

He partnered with Jim Dando in 2016 to create a outdoor large booster solution, providing a bigger coverage area for farmers.

“For years I was working in the Wheatbelt and I heard the screams of people asking for help as there was little coverage in remote areas,” Mr Mangano said.

“The bush needs to be looked after and people are in desperate need of coverage.”

Mr Mangano said having unreliable mobile phone coverage when working in isolation was a safety issue.

“We have trialled our approved booster with Jennacubbine farmer Darren West,” he said.

“It provides service to areas in the workshops, where people work often in isolation and in case of emergency need to be able to call someone.

“Where a normal booster operates in the home, this booster system is designed for the outdoors, in workshops, vehicles or a small area on the farm.”

Mr Mangano said the “niche solution” amplified the 3G and 4G signals.

“I saw a real need, farmers wanted a solution and no-one was doing anything about it,” he said.

“The trials have been successful, with a few tweaks.”

Mr West, who was elected an Agricultural Region MP, said the technology was a game changer for rural Western Australia.

“We had a weak signal around our house and sheds before, but with the technology we had about four bars of signal within 300 metres,” Mr West said.

“For most of us right on the fringe of service it is frustrating trying to make a call or send a text.

“With new towers going in, that fills in the gaps, but government doesn’t have enough money to help fund the whole area, so this is a good option for those farmers.”

Blackspot concerns across rural Australia has seen the introduction of a range of possible solutions, including the proposal for mobile roaming services.

A proposal for networks to share mobile service providers has hit a snag earlier this month.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its draft decision proposing not to declare a wholesale domestic mobile roaming service.

“The ACCC has insufficient evidence that declaration will improve the state of competition overall,” said ACCC chairman Rod Sims.

“We are extremely conscious of the fact that in regional, rural and remote areas, mobile coverage and choice of service provider are vital issues.

“However, the effect declaration would have on competition in regional, rural and remote areas is uncertain.

“While declaration may deliver choice for more consumers, declaration has the potential to make some consumers worse off.

“Regional consumers benefit to some extent from price competition in metropolitan areas because operators price their services consistently across Australia, despite the higher costs in servicing regional areas.”

Mr Sims said country people also benefitted from competition between operators on network investment.

“There is insufficient evidence to suggest that declaration of a mobile roaming service in regional and rural areas would further lower prices or improve services, given the higher costs in servicing these areas,” he said.

WAFarmers policy executive officer Grady Powell said while WAFarmers supported and recognised the importance of competition, a domestic mobile roaming service would not necessarily be the best outcome in allowing for greater market competition.

“WA is a great beneficiary of Telstra assistance through State and federal funding for black spot programs,” Mr Powell said.

“While there is nothing stopping companies co-locating on one another’s infrastructure, some providers have invested in regional WA more heavily than others.

“While competition and choice is good for consumers and the market, we cannot accept the risk this may bring in terms of jeopardising future investment in regional telecommunications.”

Mr Powell said telecommunications underpinned basic communications and facilitated everyday business, with producers requiring reliable connectivity to ensure the smooth running of their operation.

“Technology is becoming so entwined with businesses and social activities, so maintenance of telecommunications infrastructure is critical, as is the responsibility and ownership of it,” he said.

“Any scope for ambiguity has the potential to lead to confusion and loss of service for consumers, which is unacceptable.”

The ACCC’s draft decision states that declaration in regional, rural and remote areas may not reduce Telstra’s retail mobile prices to a significant extent and could well result in overall higher prices if other service providers raise their retail prices to reflect the cost of roaming access prices.

Mr Sims said the ACCC had examined the incentives for mobile network operators to upgrade their networks or invest in expanding coverage with and without a declaration.

“We heard from many regional groups concerned about coverage,” Mr Sims said.

“We consider there is evidence that declaration could damage some incentives for operators to invest such that overall coverage is not likely to improve with declaration.

“Many regional consumers do not have a choice of provider either because they only have one network offering coverage in their region or because they need continuous coverage.”

Mr Sims didn’t think mandated roaming was the answer to these problems in regional and rural areas.

“We are seeking comment on other regulatory and policy measures that could improve coverage and competitive outcomes – we are keen to get comments from a broad range of stakeholders on our draft decision, including on these measures,” Mr Sims said.

“We will carefully consider all feedback before making our final decision in mid-2017.”

Submissions on the draft decision are due by June 2, with a final decision to be made in mid-2017.