Mobile Phone Roaming in our local area

Letters to Mr Luke Hartsuyker MP

Hi Luke

Thank you for asking me to suggest a question for you to ask the PM when you met him on 16 February 2017 - see below.

In my preparation to ask that question, I looked at the National Party web site and found a contribution from your colleague, Mark Coulter supporting mobile phone roaming in country and regional areas.

see http://www.nswnationals.org.au/national_roaming_the_missing_link_for_regional_telecommunications

I am sending a copy of this email to the Bellingen Courier Sun as I think the ACCC review on roaming is an important matter for local people and as the Courier Sun published your press release on the proposed Optus mobile phone tower for Brierfield.

They also reported on the the Telstra response to problems with the tower near Dorrigo. Certainly Telstra were not sympathetic to local needs and are fighting hard to prevent roaming on their towers. As Mark Coulter commented these Telstra towers were mostly funded by the Howard government!

There are several links to the ACCC review - one such is https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-releases-discussion-paper-on-domestic-mobile-roaming

regards

David Wallin

Hi Luke

Thanks for your email.

Does the PM support roaming for mobile phones in country and regional areas?

The ACCC is currently carrying out a review to determine if they should "declare" that mobile phone service providers . Telstra, Optus etc must allow all mobile phones to access their towers.

So the proposed Optus tower for Brierfield would also provide access to Telstra customers, greatly increasing access to all local phone users. Optus customers would get access to the Telstra towers.

This would greatly improve services in the Cowper area, especially to allow businesses better access to customers etc.

regards

David Wallin