Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation
The Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) bill was tabled in Parliament at the end of November.
If passed, the bill will require mobile carriers to provide reasonable access to mobile voice and text outdoors almost everywhere across Australia.
The bill represents a significant step toward a fairer, safer and more connected Australia. Its intent - to make mobile coverage a guaranteed service rather than a market convenience - aligns strongly with the priorities and long-standing advocacy of One Gippsland.
Strong, reliable mobile coverage has the power to save lives during disasters and crisis situations, while residents, business operators and visitors need reliable connectivity.
Our submission on the draft UOMO bill recommended:
minimum resilience standards be mandated for all networks, including 72-hours of backup power at all critical sites in disaster-prone areas;
establishing clear, enforceable minimum service standards, including signal strength and reliability thresholds;
broadening the definition of universal mobile service to include mobile data; and
formally recognising telecommunications as essential national infrastructure.
