The newly implemented emergency roaming capability that allows customers to temporarily use a rival mobile network during natural disasters, has been cautiously welcomed.
This industry-led initiative was developed between Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom, developed after pressure from government, regulators and regional communities following major disasters and network outages
It was designed to address the common problems experienced during bushfires, floods and cyclones, where one carrier’s infrastructure may be damaged while another carrier’s network remains operational.
The priority is to help communities stay connected to essential communications and information without putting the network services that people rely on at risk during an emergency, explained The Australian Telecommunications Alliance (ATA) CEO Luke Coleman.
“Temporary Disaster Roaming has been developed by telcos to provide another way for regional and remote Australians to stay connected during natural disasters,” he said.
Where the conditions for activating TDR are met, it may allow people whose usual mobile network is unavailable to make calls, send texts, and access basic data via another available network.
It’s an additional emergency capability rather than a solution for every outage, and it will only be activated when and where it can be done safely.
“If your usual mobile network is impacted by a natural disaster, TDR will enable you to make calls, send texts, and use basic data via another mobile network where there’s one available,” Coleman noted. “There is no additional cost to use it, and for most customers, connection will occur automatically once TDR has been activated and is available.
“Australians have always been able to use any available mobile network to call Triple Zero – even when their usual network is impacted by an outage or out of coverage. TDR takes this even further.”
According to Coleman when it is activated and available, it is designed to allow customers to stay in touch with family and friends via voice calls and texts, and access basic data to use emergency service apps, WhatsApp, and iMessage.”
Activation of TDR will be managed directly between mobile network operators through their Network Operations Centres (NOC) which are operational 24/7.
A core principle of TDR is that activating it must not put the network that is still operating, or the customers relying on it, at risk.
Before it is activated, the surviving mobile network must have sufficient coverage and capacity to accommodate additional customers without putting existing services, including access to Triple Zero, at risk.
Network conditions will continue to be monitored while TDR is active, and the service may be adjusted or deactivated if conditions change.
Where one operator identifies that its network has been disrupted by a natural disaster, it can contact the operator of the surviving network to assess whether that network has the coverage and capacity to safely support TDR in the affected area.
According to ATA, to ensure the capability is ready ahead of the high-risk weather season.
Mobile network operators have developed the technical solution, completed rigorous testing and regional field trials, and agreed operational protocols for activating and deactivating TDR during eligible disasters.
There will be circumstances where TDR cannot be activated. It requires another participating network to have coverage and sufficient capacity in the affected area, and customers need a compatible device that supports ‘Voice over LTE’ (VoLTE) roaming.
There may also be situations where multiple networks are affected, including by widespread power outages, and TDR is not available.
The problem for The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is that TDR can run in no more than three disaster areas at once, each covering up to 15 mobile sites, and those areas must be at least 400km apart.
It typically runs for around 24 hours at a time. It excludes metropolitan areas and does not work with medical alert devices.
It also may not be switched on when power outages take down a network, which the industry itself identifies as one of the most common causes of disruption in a disaster.
“Any arrangement that helps people stay connected in a disaster is better than none,” said ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett. “But we are concerned that this model relies heavily on telco discretion.
“This won’t give many people confidence, with telecommunications the least trusted industry in the country according to Roy Morgan”
According to Bennett public safety cannot rest on voluntary arrangements that the telcos can choose to turn on and off.”
“We need this technology to work – and I look forward to collaborating with industry and government to set it up for success, but we know that best-efforts commitments from this sector often disappoint, she said. “At a minimum, we should see mandated Temporary Disaster Roaming arrangements – at best we should mandate domestic mobile roaming.”
ACCAN has called on the Senate to deliver permanent domestic mobile roaming when Parliament returns in October, through amendments to the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) Bill.
“International visitors to Australia already roam automatically across all three networks. Australians can’t,” said Bennett. “People in New Zealand, Canada and France have this protection, and there is no reason Australians should not have the same service.”
“The legislation to make this happen is before Parliament now. Our parliamentarians can guarantee Australians a connection in an emergency. We can do better, and we should.”
Australians need connectivity in disasters. TDR can make a difference and is better than no agreement but at present, the safety of Australians rests on private telcos to make the right call during an on-ground crisis.