Vic gov opens $265m in telco grants to improve mobile, internet coverage

Moves ahead with Connecting Victoria, Gigabit State program.
The Victorian government has opened the second stage of its Connecting Victoria mobile program, with $230 million on the table for telcos to improve 4G and 5G coverage in under-served regions.
The Connecting Victoria program aims to improve mobile coverage and digital inclusion, particularly in outer suburban Melbourne and regional areas, by co-funding new and upgraded infrastructure.
It was funded to the tune of $550 million in the 2020 state budget, with funding to be shared with Gigabit State, a similar program aimed at delivering business-grade broadband to businesses and households.
Stage one of the Connecting Victoria program has already made $30 million available to telcos to improve 4G and 5G coverage in areas with high economic uplift potential, according to the department.
Tender documents show funding will be allocated to mobile network operators and mobile network infrastructure providers that offer solutions that address three strategic themes: essential coverage, 4G enabled/5G fast-forward and locations of strategic importance.
The majority of funding (75 to 85 percent) will be allocated to the 4G enabled/5G fast-forward theme, which aims to deliver “robust handheld 4G and 5G coverage with high data speeds”.
Essential coverage, meanwhile, will provide at least 4G coverage “where there is little or no existing mobile coverage for any mobile network operators”, while locations of strategic importance have been designated by the department.
All proposals – which can be greenfields, brownfields or an upgrade – are expected to assist in the “delivery of new or improved mobile coverage to consumers, with services operational for at least 10 years”.