Farmers say it’s time to end the regional mobile black spots

REGIONAL Australians are calling for the Federal Government to act now on domestic mobile phone roaming and take their connectivity concerns seriously.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) inquiry into domestic mobile roaming but says regional communities should not have to wait for better connectivity.

Domestic roaming would allow mobile phones to automatically connect to another network when their own provider has no coverage, potentially providing a major boost for people living, working and travelling in areas where mobile black spots remain an everyday issue.

NFF CEO Mike Guerin said the current situation was leaving some regional Australians with difficult choices just to stay connected.

“We’ve heard reports of farmers using two separate SIM cards for different sides of town, just to stay connected – this should not be happening in Australia in 2026,” Mr Guerin said.

He said domestic mobile roaming could help close the connectivity gap between metropolitan and regional Australia.

“Domestic mobile roaming would be another vital step toward ending the connectivity divide for rural Australians,” Mr Guerin said.

The NFF is calling on the Federal Government to mandate domestic roaming now, rather than waiting for the ACCC inquiry to reach a conclusion.

Mr Guerin said the ACCC could instead focus on how roaming should be implemented.

“The Government should mandate roaming immediately and let the ACCC look at the implementation of domestic mobile roaming, rather than limiting its review to broad competition concerns,” he said.

While the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation and temporary disaster-specific roaming measures are also in the pipeline, the NFF says neither will completely address the ongoing connectivity challenges faced by regional communities.

“Mandatory mobile roaming will make every Australian safer. We can’t wait any longer,” Mr Guerin said.

For farmers, emergency workers, families and regional businesses, reliable mobile coverage is not simply a convenience, it can be an important link to emergency services, customers, suppliers and loved ones.