Proposal to make mobile coverage mapping standard

We received 22 submissions from industry, government agencies and departments, consumer advocacy groups and community organisations. Eighteen submissions were received by the close of submissions and were published on 10 March. 

Three submissions were received following the close of the consultation period. These submissions are now also available below. One submission was confidential and has not been published. 

Stakeholders generally welcomed the draft standard, noting strong consumer demand for access to consistent and comparable coverage maps.

In response to the submissions received, we changed the standard to: 

• Refine the way that the proposed coverage levels are described, including the addition of service level indicators for voice, SMS and data services
• Clarify that published maps must, at a minimum, satisfy the success criteria for Level AA in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
• Clarify the circumstances under which mobile network operators can publish multiple maps and that published maps showing coverage of 4G and 5G services must always be prepared in compliance with the standard.
• Specify organisations, in addition to emergency service organisations, that can extract underlying geospatial data used to generate the published maps.

The Telecommunications (Mobile Coverage Maps) Industry Standard 2026 commences on 1 April and, for the first time in Australia, requires mobile providers to produce standardised mobile network coverage maps. The standard seeks to balance stakeholder views on key matters while remaining aligned with the requirements of the Telecommunications (Mobile Network Coverage Maps) Direction 2025.

You can access an outcomes paper that responds to the feedback received during consultation above.

The draft standard published on 28 January 2026 contained an error in Table 1 of Schedule 2. The minimum 4G and 5G signal‑strength coverage threshold for 'Good’ coverage in line 1 (column 2) should be –95 dBm, not –85 dBm as previously shown. This error has now been corrected, and the draft standard is consistent with the figures proposed in the consultation paper.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

The Telecommunications (Mobile Network Coverage Maps) Direction 2025 requires the ACMA to determine a standard about the way that mobile network coverage maps are produced and published. 

The standard is to be determined by 31 March 2026, and take effect from 30 June 2026. 

We have prepared the draft Telecommunications (Mobile Network Coverage Maps) Standard 2026, which requires mobile network operators (MNOs) to adopt a harmonised approach to modelling and presenting coverage. The draft standard proposes: 

1. A consistent set of coverage categories (good, moderate, useable and none) with accompanying consumer-facing descriptions that explain the level of service that can generally be expected. 
2. Defined signal-strength thresholds for 4G and 5G outdoor handheld coverage, based on RSRP and SSRSRP values. The proposed values are informed by international practice and findings from the National Audit of Mobile Coverage. 
3. Standardised modelling assumptions, including parameters relating to receiver characteristics, propagation environment and minimum mapping resolution, to improve comparability across operators. 
4. Mandatory caveats explaining key factors that influence mobile connectivity and the limitations of predictive coverage modelling. 
5. Requirements for publication, including accessibility considerations aligned with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.  

The draft standard also requires MNOs to provide maps to Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and for MVNOs to publish those maps on their websites.