Telstra has slashed the size of its claimed mobile network coverage by almost a third under new government rules forcing telecommunications companies to measure and report signal strength using a common standard.
Previously, each telco used different metrics to calculate its coverage maps, but earlier this year the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) proposed a standardised approach designed to make it easier for consumers to compare, which came into effect on Tuesday.
The rules, which require each company to grade its coverage from good to absent based on specific signal strengths, have cut Telstraβs claimed coverage by almost 1 million square kilometres from 3 million to 2.14 million, representing an area larger than NSW.
The regulatorβs plan was supported by Optus, Vodafone and peak industry body the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network. But it was opposed by Telstra, which argued that the ACMAβs rubric would require it to mark some parts of the map βno coverageβ when, in fact, there was a small amount of service available.
In submissions to the ACMA from rival telcos, consumer groups and advocates for rural and farming communities, Telstraβs map was criticised as showing coverage in areas where most phones would struggle to ever successfully place a call.
All three telcos have now updated their coverage maps, though they still disagree on the best way to quantify their networks. Vodafone and Optus prefer to express their total coverage as a percentage of the Australian population covered. Vodafone now says it covers about 99 per cent of the population (up from 98.5 per cent), while Optus says it covers 99.11 per cent (also up from 98.5 per cent).
Telstra prefers to give numbers based on total landmass covered, arguing that customers need coverage beyond fixed addresses. It previously said it covered 3 million square kilometres, but under the new standards it has reduced that to more than 2.14 million square kilometres. A Telstra spokesperson said a change in the map does not mean the reach of its network has changed.
βTelstraβs coverage footprint is vastly larger than any other mobile network. Customers continue using our network in many areas that will appear in the βno coverageβ zone under the new standard,β the spokesperson said.
βHistorical network data shows around 1.5 million customers each month have used our network in these areas, with around 57,000 emergency calls successfully made within a single year.β
Optus and Vodafone, which have a network sharing agreement in rural areas, have confirmed that their networks cover about 1.2 million square kilometres. Telstra has not confirmed the size of its network calculated as a percentage of the population.
Vodafoneβs acting group executive for consumer, James Gully, said the network reporting changes were a win for potential customers comparing the networks.
βPeople rely on these maps assuming their phone will work, especially in regional areas, so itβs critical they reflect real-world performance, not edge-of-network signal that often doesnβt connect without additional equipment,β he said.
βWeβve always been focused on showing coverage customers can actually get in the real world, so itβs positive to see a consistent standard now applied across the industry.β
An Optus spokesperson said the new maps confirmed its competitive coverage across both 4G and 5G.
βWeβre focused on delivering reliable connectivity in areas where Australians live, work and travel,β the spokesperson said.
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Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games.Connect via X or email.