For too long, Australians, including in my electorate, have put up with dreadful and patchy phone service due to privatisation, cost cutting and government neglect. Both Labor and Liberal governments have not addressed the inevitable failures resulting from Telstra's privatisation, and my constituents are paying the price.
In a wealthy country like Australia, this is absolutely unacceptable. It's particularly bad in areas in my electorate like Brookfield, Upper Brookfield and Kenmore Hills, where recent power outages due to summer storms exacerbated the issue. With roads cut off, some parts of those communities have had absolutely no way whatsoever to communicate with the outside world—in 2026.
But this failure is not just an accident. It's not just an aberration. This is a direct result of decisions made by the federal government. The government did a deal with Telstra in 2012 whereby Telstra received a plum 20-year exclusive contract worth $297 million every year. That's nearly $300 million paid annually by the taxpayer to Telstra in exchange for providing theoretically universal coverage, though, as my constituents know all too well, the coverage Telstra provides is nowhere near universal. For people like my constituents, for whom Telstra is the only available provider, the government has effectively chosen to set up a private, for-profit monopoly, and taxpayers are paying for the privilege.
Essential services, especially utilities like service providers, who can easily form monopolies, should be in public hands. They should never have been sold off in the first place. Running these services for profit means they are not being run for public good. Private providers are not incentivised to provide universal quality service if it's not profitable.
So, rather than making small tweaks around the edges, the government has an opportunity to demonstrate some courage. I call on the government to bring phone and internet provision back into public hands and finally guarantee decent coverage for all Australians.
UPDATE MAY 2026
Many locals have contacted me about issues with phone and internet connectivity. It's not good enough that the vast majority of Ryan is less than 20km from the Brisbane CBD and so many people are experiencing issues with frequent drop outs or no service at all.
Already, we've heard stories of the harm caused by unreliable phone connectivity and mobile blackspots. Constituents in Moggill, Chapel Hill, Fig Tree Pocket, Kenmore Hills and other parts of Ryan have told us about the human impact that mobile blackspots can have.
One constituent told me "When my mother-in-law lived with us she had a personal medical alarm which was originally connected by landline. Installation of NBN meant there was no choice about having to rely on connection to a mobile service to use the alarm - an obvious risk in a mobile blackspot." This is just not good enough in a wealthy, modern nation like Australia. Another constituent said "It's a joke really, considering we are living in a capital city."
People report difficulties regardless of which mobile provider they use, and describe its destructive impact on their ability to work from home, to communicate in an emergency, or to simply be able to conveniently stay in touch with loved ones.
In 2026, it's not too much to expect a reliable phone and internet connection. That's why I'm collecting reports of mobile blackspots to further advocate on this issue. Share your story here.
UPDATE March 2026
I spoke in Parliament about the appalling service that constituents in Ryan experience, and some of the reasons that privatisation of our telecommunications networks has been so unsuccessful. You can watch that speech here:
UPDATE September 2024 - Results of my survey!
For more information on my Westside Phone and Internet Survey, click here.
Earlier this year, I ran a survey to gain a clearer picture of the experience of internet and phone services in the area to help me advocate for solutions at a federal and local level. Over 400 residents across Ryan filled out the survey, many expressing extreme frustrations with their services.
Unfortunately, despite the wins we've had on the west side - the results from my phone and internet survey have made it clear that so many of us are still dealing with the fallout of the botched mobile coverage and NBN upgrades. I know that many across Ryan are living in a digital desert, unable to make a phone call or easily access reliable internet.
You can read the full 9-page report here.
In the report, I cover the responses we received and make some recommendations for potential steps the government could take to fix these issues on the west side.
UPDATE August 2024
I spoke in Parliament about the dire state of Australian phone and internet services. You can watch that speech here: