The federal government has announced investing a further AU$25 million into the country's mobile blackspots program, aimed at improving mobile coverage in regional or remote areas.
The fourth round of funding, available after pooling previously unallocated funding, is expected to be focused on driving improved outcomes for regional businesses and residents, tourism, health, education, and emergency services.
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Applications for a share of the AU$25 million will be opened to mobile network operators in the second half of this year, via a government tender process.
The government said input will also be sought from community organisations, and state and local governments to ensure blackspot locations that will provide "strong economic benefits" are considered.
To date, a total investment of over AU$680 million has been made into the blackspots program, with funding coming from state and local governments, telcos, and the Commonwealth.
The mobile blackspots program is more than half way complete, with the government saying it is on track to deliver 867 base stations nationwide by June 2019.
The government in April revealed which telcos would be taking a slice of the round three AU$60 million funding, with Telstra being designated 89 locations[2] across the nation, Optus getting 12, and Vodafone Australia gaining one.
The federal government had in November opened the third round of its mobile blackspots program for tender, with 106 "priority" locations[3] named as possibilities for the AU$60 million in funding to extend coverage.
The third round[4], announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in the lead-up to the 2016 federal election in May 2016, exclusively targeted a list of identified priority locations.
The first