“In 2024, mobile phone coverage will be as important as electricity and running water,” says Australian Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. It issues new requirements for construction projects: developers who want to develop 50 properties or more should ensure that they are covered by at least one mobile phone network.
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This should have the same weighty importance as water and electricity connections. Property developers and network operators should work together as early as possible in order to be able to allocate suitable areas for the network infrastructure under “fair conditions” and to apply for any necessary changes to the zoning plans.
The aim is to ensure that there are no new settlements or expansions of settlement areas where there is a lack of mobile phone coverage. “It is unacceptable for Australians to move into new housing developments and not have proper mobile phone coverage from day one,” said Rowland, who is a member of the Australian Labor Party. However, their issuance is not immediately binding. Rather, the states and territories of Australia must first adopt the requirements into their law.
Empty pipes for landline networks
The document also fulfills wishes of the state-owned company NBN Co, which builds fixed-line infrastructure and leases it wholesale to Internet service providers. On the one hand, the NBN Co is allowed to recover its costs for network expansion from several developers in an area. On the other hand, the decree contains an express obligation for builders of apartment buildings to install pipes for the cabling of the apartments. Since 2021 it has been the case (with strict exceptions) that new buildings may only be sold or rented if at least empty conduits for fiber optics lead to them.
England introduced compulsory fiber optics for new buildings at the end of 2022. Empty pipes are not enough there; a functioning internet connection that can transmit at least one gigabit per second is required. However, there is a cost limit in favor of the builder.
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