The Federal Government’s Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee has recently released its Issues Paper and is encouraging people to share their views on regional telecommunications, focusing on where improvements need to be made, both in everyday life and in the case of future emergencies.
The review only occurs every three years, so it is a good opportunity to help set the Australian Government’s regional telecommunications agenda for the coming years. The last review occurred before the bushfires in 2019-20, which means people who were affected by the emergency will have a lot of important insights about telecommunications in situations such as these that need to be shared. We need to learn from the past and ensure that our telecommunication services are available when we need them most.
In addition, COVID-19 has changed telecommunications, particularly in terms of working from home, telehealth, home-schooling. and accessing government information, so it makes sense that members of the community highlight areas where telecommunications has been less than adequate.
The Issues Paper, consultation dates, and details on how to make a submission can be found at www.rtirc.gov.au. Written submissions should be lodged by Thursday, 30 September 2021.
