Regional Mobile Telecommunications Performance
Main Article Content
Keywords
Mobile, Regional, Telecommunications, Broadband, 4G, 5G, Policy, Regulation
Abstract
Mobile Telecommunications is an essential service that fundamentally affects quality of life by improving communication, the ability of business and industry to improve productivity and for the nation to compete successfully in the global digital economy. There are three fundamental and measurable parameters that, when combined, provide the basis upon which judgements about mobile telecommunications can be made. The parameters are cost, access and performance. Information is readily available about the first two parameters. Quantifiable information is not available about performance. Regional mobile telecommunications is further complicated by factors including population density, the cost of transit or backhaul and infrastructure subsidies. This paper provides a discussion on regional mobile telecommunications performance and focuses on throughput (capacity). The paper recommends that regional mobile telecommunications performance data be collected and that minimum performance standards for regional mobile telecommunications be legislated.
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References
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Ward, A., & Schremmer, J. (2021). Mallee farmers' mobile service struggle signals need for more money for rural mobile towers. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 May 2021. Accessed online at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-04/farmer-phone-service-flops-as-telstra-techs-find-no-faults/100103554
Ward, M. (2021). Telstra celebrates Australia in first brand campaign since 2016. Australian Financial Review, 11 July 2021. Accessed online at https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/telstra-celebrates-australia-in-first-brand-campaign-since-2016-20210709-p5889e
Waring, J. (2021). Optus, Nokia claim mmWave 5G speed record. Mobile World Live. 7 April 2021. Accessed online at https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/optus-nokia-claim-mmwave-5g-speed-record
Wilkinson, Z. (2020). Telstra’s case against ‘misleading’ Optus network ads dismissed by federal court. Mumbrella, 28 September 2020. Accessed online at https://mumbrella.com.au/telstras-case-against-misleading-optus-network-ads-dismissed-by-federal-court-644264
ACCC. (2018). Regional Mobile Issues Forum. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Australian Government. 28 February 2018. Accessed online at https://www.accc.gov.au/regulated-infrastructure/communications/mobile-services/regional-mobile-issues/regional-mobile-issues-forum
ACCC. (2021). Measuring Broadband Australia program. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Australian Government. 31 August 2021. Accessed online at https://www.accc.gov.au/regulated-infrastructure/communications/monitoring-reporting/measuring-broadband-australia-program
Arboleda, N. (2018). Court orders Telstra to shelve 'Unlimited' ads for three years. CRN, 15 August 2018. Accessed online at https://www.crn.com.au/news/court-orders-telstra-to-shelve-unlimited-ads-for-three-years-500253
Australian Government. (2021). Mobile Black Spot Program. Australian Government. Accessed online at https://www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/phone/mobile-services-and-coverage/mobile-black-spot-program
Bushell-Embling, D. (2020). Optus claims Australian 5G speed record. Critical Comms, 15 October 2020. Accessed online at https://www.criticalcomms.com.au/content/industry/news/optus-claims-australian-5g-speed-record-1224561610
Coulton, M., (2021). Regional Telecommunications Review committee announced. Australian Government. 3 June 2021. Accessed online at https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20210603060134/https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/coulton/media-release/regional-telecommunications-review-committee-announced
Edwards, S., Duncan, W., Plante, J., Sefton, R., & Weller, P. (2018). 2018 Regional Telecommunications Review—Getting it right out there. Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee. Australian Government. 4 December 2018. Accessed online at https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-centre/publications/2018-regional-telecommunications-review-getting-it-right-out-there
Fletcher, B. (2021). Ericsson, Qualcomm, Telstra claim 5 Gbps speed record using 5G carrier aggregation. Fierce Wireless, 20 January 2021. Accessed online at https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/ericsson-qualcomm-telstra-claim-5-gbps-speed-record-using-5g-carrier-aggregation
Gregory, M. A. (2015). The Rationale for Universal Access to Digital Services. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 3(4), 166–184. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v3n4.45
Gregory, M. A. (2018). Australian Wholesale Telecommunications Reforms. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 6(2), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v6n2.155
Herrmann, B. (2021). Mid West businesses, farmers struggle to get work done as tourism spike, Cyclone Seroja worsen 4G coverage. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 September 2021. Accessed online at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-16/mid-west-tourism-leaves-farming-businesses-no-internet/100464092
Infrastructure Australia. (2020). Mobile telecommunications coverage in regional and remote areas. Infrastructure Australia. Australian Government. 26 February 2020. Accessed online at https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/map/mobile-telecommunications-coverage-regional-and-remote-areas
Mills, S. (2021). Paynes Find: A Town Searching for Reception. 6PR. Nine Entertainment Co. Accessed online at https://www.6pr.com.au/podcast/paynes-find-a-town-searching-for-reception/
Ookla. (2021). Speedtest Global Index: Global Speeds August 2021. Ookla. Accessed 22 September 2021 online at https://www.speedtest.net/global-index
Reichert, C. (2018). Telstra 'unlimited' mobile network ads banned by court. ZDNet, 23 May 2018. Accessed online at https://www.zdnet.com/article/telstra-unlimited-mobile-network-ads-banned-by-court/
Richards, D. (2020). Exclusive: Telstra 5G Struggles To Get Past 5Mbps. ChannelNews. 3 August 2020. Accessed online at https://www.channelnews.com.au/exclusive-telstra-5g-struggles-to-get-past-5mbps/
RTR. (2021a). 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review. Australian Government. 14 July 2021. Accessed online at https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/have-your-say/2021-regional-telecommunications-review
RTR. (2021b). Terms of Reference. Regional Telecommunications Review. Australian Government. Accessed online at https://www.rtirc.gov.au/terms-reference
Smith, E. (2021). Munglinup's poor phone service 'impacting lives, businesses and community's future'. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 June 2021. Accessed online at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-04/poor-phone-service-putting-lives-at-risk/100191010
TCPSS. (2020). Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999. Australian Government. 25 June 2020. Accessed online at https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A00441
Telstra. (2021a). Our Network - Telstra 4GX – Telstra. Telstra Corporation. Accessed online 12 September 2021 at https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/telstra-4gx
Telstra. (2021b). Our Network. Telstra Corporation. Accessed online 12 September 2021 at https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/our-network
Telstra. (2021c). Telstra Speed Test. Telstra Corporation. Accessed online 12 September 2021 at https://speedtest.telstra.com/
Telstra. (2021d). Mobile Black Spot Program. Telstra Corporation. Accessed online 12 September 2021 at https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/mobile-black-spot-program
TIO. (2020). Annual Report 2019-2020. Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, 30 September 2020. Accessed online at https://www.tio.com.au/reports-updates/annual-report-201920
USO. (2021). Universal Service Obligation. Australian Government. Accessed online 12 September 2021 at https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-technology-communications/phone/phone-services/universal-service-guarantee-telecommunications/universal-service-obligation
Ward, A., & Schremmer, J. (2021). Mallee farmers' mobile service struggle signals need for more money for rural mobile towers. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 May 2021. Accessed online at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-04/farmer-phone-service-flops-as-telstra-techs-find-no-faults/100103554
Ward, M. (2021). Telstra celebrates Australia in first brand campaign since 2016. Australian Financial Review, 11 July 2021. Accessed online at https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/telstra-celebrates-australia-in-first-brand-campaign-since-2016-20210709-p5889e
Waring, J. (2021). Optus, Nokia claim mmWave 5G speed record. Mobile World Live. 7 April 2021. Accessed online at https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/optus-nokia-claim-mmwave-5g-speed-record
Wilkinson, Z. (2020). Telstra’s case against ‘misleading’ Optus network ads dismissed by federal court. Mumbrella, 28 September 2020. Accessed online at https://mumbrella.com.au/telstras-case-against-misleading-optus-network-ads-dismissed-by-federal-court-644264
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Published
Sep 26, 2021
Article Details
How to Cite
Gregory, M. A. (2021). Regional Mobile Telecommunications Performance. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 9(3), 170–185. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v9n3.444
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Section
Public Policy
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright Telecommunications Association Inc.
Author Biography
Mark A Gregory, RMIT University
Dr Mark A Gregory is a telecommunication and network engineer in the School of Engineering at RMIT University. He is the General Chair of the International Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference.
