The little-known policy that could be holding us back from better phone coverage
ABCOn a hot and muggy Tuesday afternoon, people were out and about, and kids were cooling off in the local swimming pool when a "super-cell" storm struck with such force it flattened trees like pins in a bowling alley. That's because Telstra is paid about $270 million a year to ensure all Australians have access to voice calls via "standard telephone services and payphones", regardless of where they live and work, under a legislated Universal Service Obligation. Telstra warned mobile services alone can't provide universal access to voice calls, as the federal government considers changes to the telco's legal obligations. "This means removing the requirement for Telstra to use the outdated copper network to deliver USO telephone services in much of regional and remote Australia," Telstra said in a statement. Communities more worried about losing phone services than power supply A Victorian government review of the February 13 storm found "losing phone services was worse than being without power" for many communities and urged the federal government — which is responsible for telecommunications — to make this essential service more resilient.
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