FED-UP farmers and families facing poor regional, rural and remote mobile services are being encouraged to keep complaining.
The latest report from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman revealed an increase in complaints in NSW, with almost a quarter coming from regional areas.
Sarah Thompson from the NSW Farmers Rural Affairs Committee said the stats reflected what farmers were saying.
“A lot of people are fairly fed up with complaining about this long-running issue, and it’s clear enough isn’t being done to fix the problem,” Mrs Thompson said.
“I agree with Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert when she says consumers don’t see phone and internet connectivity as optional anymore, these are vital not only for business and education but the basics of everyday life.
“We’re encouraging people who aren’t satisfied with their service or the resolutions from their providers to go to the TIO to try and get a better outcome and make sure the issues are reported on.”
For small businesses, complaints about internet services increased 16.1 per cent to 483 complaints, with increases noted for slow data speed, up 17.6 per cent to 234 complaints, and no phone or internet service, up 17 per cent to 476 complaints.
In December 2025, NSW Farmers organised multiple regional and rural visits from the TIO, offering communities a chance to raise connectivity concerns and learn about services.
Attendees reported concerns about their ability to call emergency services, with many people citing previous failures, and that rural and regional Australians felt forgotten and tired of complaining, particularly since unreliable mobile connectivity had become a persistent issue since the 3G shutdown.
“The government’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation is a critical step toward better voice and data services,” Mrs Thompson said.
“Requiring that mobile coverage be reasonably available outdoors across the country will improve safety and improve liveability for everyone, not just those who live in the capital cities.
“But there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done to make sure that providers are accountable to the UOMO and deliver what’s been promised.
“NSW Farmers continues to advocate that UOMO must be a complementary tool and not replace investment in improvements to the existing terrestrial network – we know a lot of farmers struggle daily with reliable and quality connection,” she said.
“So I think we need to keep being the proverbial squeaky wheel and keep complaining, but do it in a way that matters, and that’s to the TIO.”
To read the TIO report, go to Complaints Data Insights.
