That ICPA (Aust) requests the Minister for Communications to insist Telstra meets their Universal Service Guarantee of providing quality, efficient, and reliable voice services to rural and remote premises including fixed address pastoral leases, remote communities, and remote roadhouses by ensuring new USO voice service exceeds the reliability and quality of exisiting voice services.
Through the Universal Service Guarantee, Telstra are paid by the Australian Government to ensure all Australians have access to a standard telephone. With the announcement that Telstra would be phasing out the copper landline services in the coming years it’s important that they are replaced with the same quality as provided in metropolitan areasincluding no delays and interruptions such as those experienced when using satellite phone systems and that these services be efficient and reliable during all Australian weather conditions with appropriate backup power supply to ensure students can access education/schooling. In areas where a mobile network has already been established, it’s important that these are upgraded to current standards such as 4G or 5G.
