Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2026

Sue Lines

I will now deal with the Committee of the Whole amendments circulated by the Jacqui Lambie Network. The question is that the amendments on sheet 4184 be agreed to.

Jacqui Lambie Network's circulated amendments—

(1) Schedule 1, item 7, page 4 (after line 15), after the definition of designated mobile telecommunications service, insert:

equitable basis, in relation to the availability of mobile coverage or a designated mobile telecommunications service, includes:

(a) the affordability of the service for end-users; and

(b) the ability of end-users to obtain and use the service, including the availability of compatible devices and service plans.

(2) Schedule 1, item 7, page 5 (after line 6), after the definition of primary universal outdoor mobile provider, insert:

temporary disaster roaming means temporary access to a mobile telecommunications network other than the network ordinarily used for an end-user's service, provided to the end-user in an affected area during an emergency period to enable voice calls and short message service communications.

(3) Schedule 1, item 16, page 9 (lines 31 to 33), omit subsection 12H(2), substitute:

(2) A designated mobile telecommunications service is available outdoors at a location if the service is available in a manner that enables end-users to access and use the service in practice, including:

(a) the technical capability of the service to be used at a location; and

(b) the affordability of the service for end-users; and

(c) the accessibility of the service, including the availability of compatible devices and service plans necessary to use the service.

(4) Schedule 1, item 16, page 16 (after line 18), after paragraph 12Q(1)(a), insert:

(aa) the affordability of designated mobile telecommunications services for end-users, including the availability of service plans and compatible devices necessary to use the services in practice;

(5) Schedule 1, item 16, page 17 (after line 29), after subsection 12R(1), insert:

(1A) In making a determination under subsection (1), the Minister must have regard to the need to ensure that designated mobile telecommunications services supplied in fulfilment of the universal outdoor mobile obligation are supported by fault rectification timeframes that are reasonable having regard to the location of the service, including in regional, rural and remote areas.

(6) Schedule 1, item 16, page 18 (after line 10), after section 12R, insert:

12RA Temporary disaster roaming

(1) The Minister may, by legislative instrument, make rules requiring a primary universal outdoor mobile provider to provide temporary disaster roaming to end-users in an affected area during an emergency period.

(2) Rules under subsection (1) may prescribe any or all of the following:

(a) the definition of affected area and emergency period, including by reference to an instrument made under any other Act;

(b) timeframes for temporary disaster roaming;

(c) minimum service performance requirements for designated mobile telecommunications services supplied by means of temporary disaster roaming;

(d) information-sharing and operational coordination between carriers and carriage service providers reasonably necessary to implement temporary disaster roaming;

(e) wholesale arrangements reasonably necessary to implement temporary disaster roaming, including terms as to price, technical interfaces and dispute resolution;

(f) record-keeping and reporting requirements.

(3) Rules made under subsection (1) may confer a power on the ACMA to make a legislative instrument in relation to technical, operational or performance matters for the purposes of this section.