The ACCC is set to consider whether national roaming would improve outcomes for rural consumers despite industry concerns about the potential impact on network investment
The inquiry comes at a time of rapid change in Australia’s mobile telecoms sector
On 5 August 2026, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) launched an inquiry, under Part 25 of the Telecommunications Act 1997, to investigate regional mobile coverage across the country and to consider whether regulating wholesale access to some mobile services could improve consumer outcomes. The inquiry, which will last approximately 12 months, seeks to determine whether the ACCC should “declare” one or more wholesale mobile services, including domestic roaming and a radio access network (RAN) service, in order to promote the long-term interests of end users. A declaration could require operators to share access to services using their networks on regulated terms set by the ACCC.
Launching the inquiry, Anna Brakey (Commissioner, ACCC) explained that “the telecommunications sector is changing rapidly, with new technologies creating opportunities and challenges for mobile coverage and competition”. The ACCC has therefore recognised the need for it to consider the impact of these developments on consumers’ mobile services, particularly in regional areas. The ACCC’s decision to launch the inquiry also took into account the Government’s proposal to introduce in 2027 a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO), which would require operators to provide near-nationwide access to mobile voice services and SMS, as well as the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) upcoming 2GHz spectrum allocation.
Competition, consumer choice and the impact of LEO satellite services will be among the inquiry’s key focus areas
The Commission will “shortly release” a more detailed discussion paper setting out the issues for the inquiry, while also holding forums in regional and remote areas to further inform its work. However, it has already stated its plans to cover the following range of issues:
How mobile coverage and consumer needs are changing, particularly in regional and remote areas;
The current state of competition in the supply of mobile services and how the UOMO and 2GHz proposals may affect competition;
Whether consumers have meaningful choice between mobile providers;
How regulation could affect investment in mobile networks; and
The role of new direct-to-device (D2D) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services and their potential impact on investment, competition and consumer outcomes in the Australian mobile market.
Consumer bodies would welcome the introduction of domestic roaming, but the ACCC will not rush into a decision on the issue
While acknowledging the role of the ACCC in ensuring that businesses and investors have the confidence to make efficient investments, Brakey also highlighted the growing calls for the organisation to intervene to regulate wholesale mobile services, particularly in rural areas. Campaign group Better Internet For Rural, Regional & Remote Australia (BIRRR) has welcomed the inquiry’s focus on mandatory domestic roaming, noting that it was a recommendation of a 2024 report by the Government's Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC), although the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has argued that the measure could be mandated more quickly via an amendment to the Government’s UOMO Bill, rather than awaiting the outcome of the ACCC’s year-long review. Telstra, however, has reportedly criticised the prospect of mandated domestic roaming, claiming that it would reduce investment incentives as operators would have less need to build networks in areas already covered by their competitors. Brakey underlined that the “complex and evolving issues” at hand “warrant careful, considered assessment”, and that the ACCC had not yet formed a view on whether any mobile access service should be declared – a decision that would only follow “a public, evidence-based and consultative process”.
