GOONDIWINDI mayor Lawrence Springborg is calling for Telstra to urgently investigate mobile connectivity issues in the Goondiwindi region following a worsening service after the 3G shutdown.
His call for action comes as many residents report poor service following the closure of the 3G network in October last year, leaving many with unreliable coverage.
“I am calling on Telstra to take immediate action and improve the service for our community,” Cr Springborg said.
He also urges residents to call Telstra’s newly established helpline – 1800 990 853 – to report service disruptions since the 3G network closure.
“The current state of mobile coverage in the Goondiwindi region is simply unacceptable in 2025,” he said.
“With the recent 3G closure, the service for many rural residents has deteriorated with noticeably worse coverage on the roads and highways, too.
“Australians were told that nobody would be worse off after the 3G shutdown – so this is clearly unacceptable.”
Cr Springborg says the impact of connectivity challenges on business and day-to-day life is a major concern – along with the inability to contact vulnerable family members or access essential services in an emergency.
“We need Telstra to take steps now to investigate, restore and improve mobile coverage, and prioritise affected areas for network upgrades,” he said.
“I am concerned senior Telstra executives are in denial about what is happening on the ground.
“In many cases, residents lost service with the 3G closure, and it is simply unacceptable that people should have to revert back to days of pre-mobile coverage – especially considering the world around us is becoming more and more digitally connected.
“Our region sees a huge number of visitors on major highways, who, on long sections of major roads, are unable to receive timely emergency alerts or call for help in the event of an accident, breakdown, or severe weather,” he said.
“Especially in a region prone to flood events, or forestry fires in areas along the Gore in particular – which sees more than 2200 vehicles every day on average.
“Drivers depend on connectivity to make timely, informed decisions,” he said.
“While customers of other providers may also be impacted, virtually all of the complaints we’ve heard are regarding Telstra given that it is the most predominant supplier of mobile services in our region.
“There may be a very small number of issues that can actually be fixed with customer troubleshooting due to being caused by non-compatible headsets or antenna or aerial issues, the majority of these problems are systemic in nature and only arose since the closure of the 3G network,” Cr Springborg said.
Telstra customers should call 1800 990 853 between 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday to report issues and service disruptions since the 3G network closure.
Cr Springborg’s concerns come on the back of an announcement on Tuesday, the Federal Government has committed to introducing a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation.
If legislated, the world-first proposal means telecommunications companies will be legally bound to guarantee basic, outdoor voice and text mobile coverage across every corner of Australia.
National Farmers’ Federation president, David Jochinke, who attended the announcement at the NSW Rural Fire Service HQ, said the obligation would create and safeguard a right for every Australian to access basic calls and text services from any location.
“Mobile black spots are a huge source of frustration for people in the bush. Coverage gaps can compromise safety and make it harder to run a business,” Mr Jochinke said.
“This new obligation will ensure that the safety of rural Australians, and their access to basic mobile services, cannot be put in the too-hard basket.
“This levels the playing field in a big way – making outdoor mobile coverage universally accessible – regardless of where you live, or which phone company you’re with.
“Every Australian will feel safer knowing that with the right handset, they can call triple zero from anywhere they can see the sky.”
The obligation would secure new mobile coverage across an estimated five-million square kilometres of land, including more than 37,000 kilometres of regional roads.
“We’ve still got a long way to go before the bush is on a level playing field with the city when it comes to connectivity. It’s why this election we are still seeking a commitment for a Regional Telecommunications Strategy and further funding for the On Farm Connectivity Program,” Mr Jochinke said.
