Telstra forced to shrink coverage map under new rules – what it means for you
New guidelines will push Telstra to cut one million square kilometres from its coverage maps.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced new rules to standardise how major network providers - Telstra, Optus and TPG/Vodafone - calculate their coverage maps.
Telcos will also have to show coverage categories: good, moderate, basic and no coverage.
All mobile providers, including those using these networks, will need to publish updated 4G and 5G coverage maps by 30 June 2026.
While Optus and TPG have welcomed the new rules, Telstra isn't fully convinced.
What do these new rules mean for Telstra's coverage maps?
Since Telstra will now have to change how it measures network coverage, it stands to lose an area roughly the size of New South Wales.
We'd previously reported that while the telco giant agreed on the need for consistent coverage maps, it didn't support the idea that signal strength weaker than –115dBm should be classified as "no coverage".
That is still the case.
"Every month, more than 1.5 million Telstra customers use this coverage as they live, work and travel through regional and remote Australia," group executive of global networks and technology, Shailin Sehgal, said in a Telstra Exchange blog.
"In areas that will now be labelled 'no coverage', past usage patterns show more than 1.5 million Telstra customers use this coverage every month and around 57,000 emergency calls are made each year.
Nothing has changed about Telstra's network. No sites have been switched off. No coverage has been removed. Telstra's network remains vastly larger with over 2,000 more mobile sites than any other network across Australia. The only thing that has changed is what will be shown on a comparable map.
We asked Telstra whether these changes would affect its claim to cover 99.7% of the population. It said it's still too early to say, as it's working through the new standard.
Want to save on your mobile bill?
Find a cheaper plan with our easy quiz.
Why do these new rules matter for Aussies comparing mobile providers?
According to ACMA Chair Nerida O'Loughlin, having standardised coverage maps for the first time in Australia would help consumers make more informed decisions.
"Mobile providers make available network coverage maps, but they are measured and presented differently. We know that consumers are frustrated that, as a result, they can't make any meaningful comparison between them.
These new rules will ensure every carrier is giving the public a like-for-like comparison of service coverage in any location across Australia.
TPG is also strongly in favour of the new ACMA rules, given it's been raising concerns around Telstra's 'overstated coverage' since last year.
"TPG Telecom supports the new coverage mapping rules, which follow concerns we raised last year about Telstra's overstated coverage," a spokesperson told Finder.
"This is a win for consumers. Coverage should mean your phone actually works, not that it might show a bar of signal that can't support a call."
Sources
Ask a question