Independent MP Indi Helen Haines has the first of the crossbench question and it is on the switchover from the 3G network leaving her constituents with worse coverage.

“Since it shutdown, my constituents have serious worse connectivity, completely losing the ability to make calls in some areas and have been told to spend their own money on aftermarket antennas. Will the minister recognise some people are worse off after the 3G shutdown and what will the government do to fix it?“

This is a perfect example of how the crossbench use question time to have actual questions which matter to their constituents answered. Which is what QT is supposed to be about.

Communications minister Michelle Rowland says she has requested weekly reports from the carriers on the switch over:

“I completely acknowledge the members concerned. It is very real and on 17 December I convened industry regulators, the mobile carriers, consumer groups to look at the lessons learned from this 3G switchover and I can give her some insights into what doing following up.

The government has stressed to the carriers that the benefits of the 3G switchover really need to be demonstrated and while it is a fact of physics the switchover is completed, there needs to be focus now on the consumer welfare and the member is right, it is true that there are multiple complaints from customers, particularly in regional areas, who have seen gratuitous coverage diminish and who have seen their services overall being challenged.

The question is how can I be improved? I’m happy to inform the member that while obviously it is concerning to hear those reports happening in regional areas, I am monitoring this very closely. I’ve made it clear to service providers the expectation that the 3G switchover will deliver on these benefits. The ACMA and the ACCC have both been highlighted in this, not only in terms of the technical requirements but also the representations that have been made to customers about coverage pre and post switchover. As many consumers will know, those coverage maps don’t always match what they actually received.”