Farmers around the western plains say declining mobile and internet coverage should be a major priority this election as the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) calls for a commitment from all sides of politics to improve service and connectivity for rural and regional Australians.  

Despite the investments made in recent years poor connectivity remains an ongoing problem for people in rural, regional, and remote communities.  

President of the NFF, David Jochinke, said reliable connectivity is critical to keeping people safe and connected.  

“Whether it’s calling for help in an emergency, coordinating logistics during harvest, or simply staying connected with loved ones - bush connectivity is not a luxury, it’s a lifeline."  

Chair of the Walgett branch of NSW farmers, Cameron Rowntree, says coverage in the Central West region is "poor at best."  

"The coverage is worse now than it was 20 years ago, especially since they've turned 3G off. It is hopeless.  

"It doesn't matter if you're at Walgett or Wellington [NSW] or anywhere else. Regional Australia has zero service."  

With chronically poor connectivity, Cameron says many people in regional areas are turning to expensive alternatives such as Starlink.  

"People are getting Starlink fitted to our cars. It's expensive but you can't run a business without a telephone," Mr. Rowntree said.  

Small business owner and farmer Marg Garnsey says the service in Quambone has also diminished since the 3G service was shut down.  

"We're only 5 kilometres from town and we've had a lot of trouble. We've had to upgrade our modem even though our original modem was 4G/5G compliant.  

"It's annoying that you have to do that. Why should you have to pay more money for the same service, or lesser service?"  

Mrs Garnsey has been making the 100 kilometre round trip to Coonamble to have enough connection to conduct her bookkeeping business.

The NFF has outlined a range of measures it wants to see for better connectivity, including:  

• Implementing the recommendations of the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee 

• Increasing support and resources for the Regional Tech Hub to assist regional people with technology issues  

• Developing a National Regional Telecommunications Strategy 

• Funding greater mobile coverage across rural and regional Australia  

Telstra has a $270 million a year Universal Service Obligation (USO) agreement with the federal Government, which requires them to provide service to all Australians. 

However, this legislation is only applicable to landline phones and not mobile technology.  

Earlier this year, Labor announced a plan for world first Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) which would require mobile carriers to provide service across the country, including regional roads.  

Labor plan would expand USO to ensure mobile coverage is provided nationwide.  

If re-elected, Labor says they would expect to implement outdoor SMS and voice by late 2027.  

The Liberal Party's policies also cover 'improved access to telecommunications and high-speed internet, including investing $3 billion for further work on the NBN.'