NextG coverage in North East Victoria
“The Minister for Communications, Stephen Conroy, must immediately release the audit report comparing the NextG and CDMA mobile phone services and make public the areas in North-East Victoria which were covered by the audit,” Sophie Mirabella, the Federal Member for Indi, said today.
Minutes ago, Minister Conroy announced that he had received the report of the audit from the Australian Communications & Media Authority – a report that was required as a result of the Coalition’s efforts to protect the interests of rural residents during the NextG/CDMA transition period.
“The newly elected Rudd Government must not forget the needs of country mobile phone users in the transition from Telstra’s CDMA to NextG services,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“Last year, I wrote to the Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy, asking him what areas in the North-East have been covered by this audit. To date, he has failed to reply.”
The license condition requiring NextG to be equal or better than CDMA was initially requested by Mrs Mirabella on behalf of rural Australians in the Coalition party room. The Liberal Minister then issued a licence condition to Telstra that would require Telstra to keep the CDMA network open until the Next G network provides equivalent or better coverage and services, reflecting the public commitments Telstra had already made itself.
At the time, Stephen Conroy was critical of this proposal, and only as the election drew closer did he backflip and support the Coalition’s clear plan to improve country phone services.
“As part of this, the Coalition directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to undertake independent coverage audits of both the CDMA and Next G networks.”
“In recent months, I have sent numerous representations to Senator Conroy on behalf of local residents who have not been able to obtain mobile phone reception with NextG that was as good if not better than CDMA coverage. The Minister has an obligation to listen to North-East residents to ensure they get a fair deal,” Mrs Mirabella said.
Minutes ago, Minister Conroy announced that he had received the report of the audit from the Australian Communications & Media Authority – a report that was required as a result of the Coalition’s efforts to protect the interests of rural residents during the NextG/CDMA transition period.
“The newly elected Rudd Government must not forget the needs of country mobile phone users in the transition from Telstra’s CDMA to NextG services,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“Last year, I wrote to the Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy, asking him what areas in the North-East have been covered by this audit. To date, he has failed to reply.”
The license condition requiring NextG to be equal or better than CDMA was initially requested by Mrs Mirabella on behalf of rural Australians in the Coalition party room. The Liberal Minister then issued a licence condition to Telstra that would require Telstra to keep the CDMA network open until the Next G network provides equivalent or better coverage and services, reflecting the public commitments Telstra had already made itself.
At the time, Stephen Conroy was critical of this proposal, and only as the election drew closer did he backflip and support the Coalition’s clear plan to improve country phone services.
“As part of this, the Coalition directed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to undertake independent coverage audits of both the CDMA and Next G networks.”
“In recent months, I have sent numerous representations to Senator Conroy on behalf of local residents who have not been able to obtain mobile phone reception with NextG that was as good if not better than CDMA coverage. The Minister has an obligation to listen to North-East residents to ensure they get a fair deal,” Mrs Mirabella said.
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posted by Greg Naylor at
9:46 PM
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