Mobile Black Spot Program

The Government has committed $380 million to the Mobile Black Spot Program (the Program) to invest in telecommunications infrastructure to improve mobile coverage and competition across Australia.

The Program is supported by co-contributions from state and local governments, mobile network operators (Optus, Telstra, TPG Telecom Ltd (formerly Vodafone) and Field Solutions Group), businesses and local communities.

Under the first five rounds of the Program (Round 1, Round 2 , the Priority Locations Round, Round 4 and Round 5), the Government's commitment has generated investment of more than $836 million, delivering more than 1,200 new base stations across Australia.

For more information about these rounds, including information on how the locations of base stations were selected, see the Mobile Black Spot Program's FAQs page.

Round 5

In April 2020, the Minister for Communications, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, together with the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, the Hon Mark Coulton MP, announced the results of the Round 5 competitive assessment process.

Round 5 is funding 182 new mobile base stations which will address coverage issues across regional and remote Australia, including 33 base stations that specifically target Public Interest Premises such as economic centres and emergency services facilities. For further information about Round 5 see the Mobile Black Spot Program's FAQs page.

Round 5A

On 18 November 2020, the Minister for Communications, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, together with the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, The Hon Mark Coulton MP, announced the opening of applications for Round 5A.

Round 5A is testing a range of different program designs to continue to expand and improve mobile coverage for regional and remote Australia. Up to $34.5 million will be available for Round 5A.

The Government sought feedback from industry and the community on options for the design of Round 5A, which includes a focus on improving mobile connectivity along major transport corridors and in disaster-prone regions, such as bushfire-prone areas, as well as the testing of new technologies that support shared mobile coverage in regional areas.

The application process for Round 5A closed on 5 March 2021. Applications received from Mobile Network Operators and infrastructure providers are currently being assessed.

Further information on round 5A can be found on the Grant Connect website.

Round 6

The Government has committed $80 million for Round 6 of the Program. Round 6 is expected to commence after the Round 5A process is complete.

Improving connectivity in Northern Australia

As part of the 2021–22 Budget, the Government announced $68.5 million of dedicated funding to improve telecommunications infrastructure across Northern Australia through the Mobile Black Spot Program and the Regional Connectivity Program. This initiative will support projects which respond to the specific connectivity needs of rural and remote communities in the north. Consultation on the design of these initiatives is expected to commence in the second half of 2021.

Program update—April 2021

The Mobile Black Spot Program is delivering improved coverage outcomes and benefits to the Australian community with 923 base stations activated as at 30 April 2021.

Base stations funded under the first five rounds of the Program are scheduled to be operational by 30 June 2022.

Information about the expected timing for individual base stations can be found on the websites of Field Solutions Group, Optus, Telstra and TPG Telecom (formerly Vodafone).

Base station delays

Due to a range of external factors outside of the direct control of the mobile network operators, some base stations have experienced delays and require additional time in order to be delivered.

Additional information on delays can be found on the Mobile Black Spot Program's FAQs page.

Base stations that are no longer required or cannot be built

Under the Program there are a small number of planned base stations that cannot be built at the original scheduled location. In these cases the mobile network operator will explore all options to deliver new and improved coverage to the original planned area including investigating alternative sites.

There are also a small number of base stations that are no longer required to be built as coverage is now being delivered by one or more base stations nearby. In these cases the funding for the original base station has been used to fund an alternative site.

Further information, including a list of alternative sites and a list of base stations that will no longer be built under the Program, is available on the Mobile Black Spot Program's FAQs page.