The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced the commencement of an inquiry aimed at examining regional mobile coverage across Australia. This inquiry will explore whether regulating wholesale access to certain mobile services could lead to improved outcomes for consumers.

ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey emphasized the significance of mobile coverage, provider choice, and network reliability, especially for individuals in regional areas. The telecommunications sector is rapidly evolving, presenting both opportunities and challenges for mobile coverage and competition.

The inquiry will last approximately 12 months and will consider the declaration of one or more wholesale mobile services, including domestic roaming and radio access network services. The ACCC will only declare a service if it believes that doing so would benefit end users in the long term.

New technologies, such as satellite-based services and network-sharing arrangements, are transforming the delivery of mobile services in Australia. The ACCC aims to consult widely across the sector and will release a discussion paper outlining the issues for the inquiry.

Key issues to be examined include the changing needs of consumers, the current state of competition in mobile services, and the potential impact of regulation on investment in mobile networks. The ACCC will also consider the implications of new direct-to-device low earth orbit satellite services on competition and consumer outcomes.