Changes to how telcos present mobile coverage maps are now live, aiming to provide Australians with transparent data about where phones can and can’t get a signal.
Under new rules from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), telcos are required to publish mobile coverage according to a uniform standard. Including ‘good’, ‘moderate’, ‘basic’, and ‘no coverage’, the quality of network coverage must be updated by telcos every three months.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin hopes that the new standardised categories make it easier to interpret network coverage maps.
“Mobile coverage maps have not always been easy to compare because providers have measured and presented coverage in different ways,” O’Loughlin said.
“For the first time, consumers will have access to like-for-like information about mobile coverage in locations across Australia.”
ACMA’s new rules followed a heated consultation process that saw Telstra and TPG Telecom, Vodafone’s parent company, clash over the new network coverage definitions. Telstra argued that more than a million square kilometres of its mobile coverage — which it claimed was still usable — registered below -115dBm, which is now considered ‘no coverage’ under the newly enforced rules.
Anything deemed ‘no coverage’ cannot be included on a telco’s map. However, despite the label, it doesn’t mean Australians can’t get coverage in those areas altogether. Instead, “some locations may still be able to make calls and send SMS”, according to the ACMA. Telco service in these areas is considered to be either “very limited, inconsistent or non-existent”.
“These new rules will give consumers clearer and comparable information about mobile coverage and network performance, helping them make more informed choices about their telco provider,” said O’Loughlin.
New rules for network outages
Alongside the ACMA’s new rules for mobile coverage, it also added a requirement for telcos to provide more transparency about outages. Now, Australian telcos must also update an online register of resolved network outages.
It’s meant to provide more information about how companies deal with outages, while also giving consumers more information to help decide which telco they buy services from.
As of today, telcos must maintain an online network outage register with the following details:
- When an outage started
- Locations impacted
- Types and estimated number of services impacted
- Cause of the outage
- When services were restored
“Network outages can be incredibly disruptive, particularly when they affect access to vital communications services,” said O’Loughlin.
“Publishing outage information in a consistent way will improve transparency for consumers and provide valuable public data about the reliability of the telco networks.”
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