Could your phone use another network in a black spot? What the ACCC is considering

The consultation, not a switch-on

Your phone has no service, but someone standing beside you can load a video without trouble. Different providers can make the same spot feel like two different countries.

The ACCC is examining whether regulated access to mobile networks could improve that situation. Its 15 October consultation invites Australians to describe their experiences with coverage, prices, service quality and provider choice.

The inquiry began in August. This week’s development is the discussion paper and public feedback opportunity, not approval for your phone to start hopping between networks.

What domestic roaming actually means

Domestic roaming lets one provider’s customers use another provider’s network. The ACCC gives a hypothetical example: an Optus customer using Telstra coverage where Optus has none, with Optus paying Telstra for access.

The regulator is considering whether to “declare” that wholesale service. In plain English, that would require a network operator to supply the specified access when another provider requests it.

It is also examining a radio access network service. That would let a provider use another operator’s radio equipment while retaining its own core network and more control over its service.

Neither option has been decided. The areas, technologies and services covered would need to be settled, and a declaration would not force providers to purchase access.

A black spot needs a closer look

There is an important difference between your provider having no coverage and nobody having coverage.

Roaming could help with the first situation if another network is available and the relevant access arrangements exist. It cannot manufacture a signal in the second. Nor does it prevent outages: if the only network serving an area fails, there is no alternative terrestrial network to use.

The inquiry is separate from temporary disaster roaming and does not change existing Triple Zero arrangements.

For households, the attraction is greater practical choice. A cheaper plan is not much of a bargain if it cannot connect where you need it. However, wider choice and lower prices are possible outcomes, not promises attached to this announcement.

Someone still has to build the network

To be fair, sharing access involves more than flicking a switch in Canberra.

The discussion paper examines technical complexity, capacity, implementation time and incentives to invest. Better use of existing equipment could help competition, but the regulator also needs to consider what encourages operators to expand and improve their networks.

My view is that both questions matter. Australians need useful choices today and someone willing to fund better coverage tomorrow. A policy that looks tidy on paper still has to work at the farm gate.

What you can do now

Choose your next plan using the coverage available today. Check the specific provider’s map around home, work and regular travel routes, rather than relying on a national coverage headline. ACMA also recommends checking handset compatibility and reading the plan’s Critical Information Summary before committing.

If coverage limits your choices, give the ACCC concrete examples: where service fails, what you cannot do and whether another provider works there.

The consumer survey closes on 10 December 2026. Formal discussion-paper submissions close earlier, at 5pm AEDT on 26 November. Check the information-handling notices before submitting personal details.

This is worth watching, especially outside the major cities. For now, judge the plan you are buying on what it delivers, not on roaming that might arrive later.