TRIPLE ZERO EMERGENCY CALL ACCESS AUSTRALIA WIDE

This campaign aims to lobby the Federal government to increase funding to improve mobile phone black spots and commit to a deadline by which all currently identified black spots will be rectified.

 

The campaign also aims to raise awareness that if your life is in danger you may not be able to place a '000' emergency call in Australia, irrespective of where you are located, due to mobile phone black spots.

 

I am campaigning for this issue after my partner, Mick, tragically passed away following a motorbike accident which occurred in a mobile phone black spot, delaying emergency assistance. Read more

 

My experience is not an isolated incident - others have been affected in a similar way. Recent bushfires in late 2015 - early 2016 have also highlighted the problems of mobile phone black spots preventing access to emergency services.

 

There are over 6000 identified mobile phone black spots throughout Australia, including near capital cities, along major highways and transport routes and in whole towns and villages. This is not an issue only affecting rural Australians - anyone living in a mobile phone black spot, which also exist in capital cities, or travelling could be affected. Read more

 

Where there is a mobile phone black spot there is no mobile phone network coverage and you can not make a '000' call. In some circumstances you may not have standard call coverage depending on which network you are with but if you dial '000' your phone will access certain roaming capabilities and use any mobile network to connect you to emergency services. This is why your phone may sometimes display 'SOS calls only' or 'Emergency calls only'.

 

Alternative numbers such as ‘112’ cannot access emergency services in a black spot area and mobile phones do not utilise satellite network coverage. Ultimately if you are faced with a life-threatening emergency and are in a mobile phone black spot area you will not be able to obtain emergency assistance. Delays in seeking emergency assistance could be the difference between life and death. Read more

 

The technology exists to eradicate mobile phone black spots – it is simply a matter of further funding. In 2016, citizens of Australia should be secure in the knowledge that they will be able to access emergency services no matter where they are located. A phone call that could save a life is of far greater importance than high speed internet connection. Yet $160 million over 3 years allocated to upgrading mobile phone black spots appears a drop in the ocean compared to $27 billion spent on rolling out the NBN.

 

What use is high speed internet connection to Australians when our country does not even have the basic technology in place to ensure that every Australian has access to the '000' network when their life is in danger?