9 December 2015
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield today called for nominations of mobile black spot locations around Australia to be submitted by December 31st for consideration under Round 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Programme (MBSP).
“The Commonwealth Government has committed $60 million to provide new or upgraded mobile coverage to black spots in regional and remote Australia under Round 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Programme, and we’re calling on members of the public to nominate black spots in their local area by 31 December,” Minister Fifield said.
“This new funding is on top of the $100 million committed to Round 1 of the programme, which leveraged co-contributions from mobile operators, state and local governments and third parties for a total funding envelope of $385 million.”
Black spot nominations for Round 2 of the Programme close on 31 December and can be made online at www.communications.gov.au/blackspots
Locations nominated by the public as mobile black spots will be added to a national database which will be provided to mobile operators as part of a competitive selection process. Operators will be required to nominate sites where they would build new or upgraded base stations to serve the black spot locations nominated by the public.
Successful locations will be determined in accordance with the ranking process set out in the Mobile Black Spot Programme Round 2 guidelines, which will be issued publicly prior to the commencement of the competitive selection process.
The competitive selection process is scheduled to begin in early 2016, and the Government expects to be in a position to announce the successful locations under Round 2 by the end of 2016.
More than 6,000 locations were nominated under Round 1 of the programme, with Round 1 set to provide new or upgraded coverage to around 3,000 of the nominated black spots. Black spots which are not set to receive new or upgraded coverage under Round 1 of the programme will remain in the database as eligible locations for Round 2.
The Commonwealth Government announced the successful locations under Round 1 in June 2015, with the first of the 499 base stations funded under the programme due to be switched-on by the end of 2015. The full rollout will be completed over the next three years.
A map of mobile black spot locations and the locations which will receive new or upgraded coverage under the Programme is available on the National Map at nationalmap.gov.au/
For more information visit www.communications.gov.au/what-we-do/phone/mobile-services-and-coverage/mobile-black-spot-programme
Media contact: Justine Sywak | 0448 448 487 | Justine.Sywak@communications.gov.au