Independent Federal Member for Indi Dr Helen Haines has welcomed the arrival of Temporary Disaster Roaming, saying the measure will give regional Australians an important safety net when mobile networks are disrupted by natural disasters.
The new system, ready from today by Telstra, Optus and TPG, will automatically connect consumers to another participating network when their provider is disrupted by natural disaster.
Dr Haines has long advocated for temporary disaster roaming, including through legislation she introduced earlier this year to strengthen communications during natural disasters.
“This is a significant win for regional Australia, and I’m pleased to see a policy I’ve been fighting for now being delivered,” Dr Haines said.
“Indi knows all too well how important reliable telecommunications are. Our communities have been hit by devastating bushfires, including the January fires and Black Summer, and people need to be able to stay connected when disaster strikes.
“When a bushfire or flood knocks out a mobile network, people shouldn’t have to wait for their provider to restore service before they can reconnect.
“If another network is available, Temporary Disaster Roaming gives people a back-up option to call for help, receive emergency warnings, check maps or contact family when they need it most.”
Dr Haines said the introduction of Temporary Disaster Roaming was an important step, but recent telecommunications outages showed the Government could not take a hands-off approach to essential telecommunications infrastructure.
“This is a win, but it can’t be the end of the conversation,” Dr Haines said. “Recent outages have shown that leaving network resilience to the telcos isn’t enough. The Government has a responsibility to make sure regional Australians can rely on their phones when it matters most.
“We need to make sure regional communities have enough network capacity for Temporary Disaster Roaming to actually work when it’s needed.
“The upcoming bushfire season will be an important test of how quickly this system can be activated and how reliably it works when communities are under pressure.”
Dr Haines said Temporary Disaster Roaming could not replace investment in resilient telecommunications infrastructure.
“If all networks are knocked out by a power failure or physical damage, roaming can’t solve the problem,” Dr Haines said.
“That’s why I’ll keep pushing for resilient mobile networks, adequate backup power at critical sites and faster restoration of services after outages.”
Dr Haines recently secured an amendment to the Government’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation Bill requiring greater transparency when regional communities are excluded from mobile coverage obligations.
Earlier this year, she also introduced the Strengthening Communications in Natural Disasters Bill, which would give the Minister powers to facilitate temporary disaster roaming.
“I’ve been pushing for stronger telecommunications protections because connectivity is essential infrastructure for regional Australia – for farming, education, healthcare, businesses and emergency services,” Dr Haines said.
“Temporary Disaster Roaming is an important safety net. Now we need to make sure the networks themselves are resilient enough to keep people connected in the first place.”
ENDS