Tony Windsor (New England, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister and relates to the proposed changeover from the CDMA mobile network to the Next G network. Given the problems being experienced by regional users of the Next G network, and even in this building, will the Prime Minister outline to the House what he believes to be ‘equivalence of service’ between the two networks prior to a switch-off of the CDMA network? Will the Prime Minister give a guarantee that the CDMA network will not be turned off until all service delivery problems are totally rectified?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don’t claim to be an expert on this subject, and I don’t mind admitting that. And I don’t mind saying to the honourable member for New England that I will seek some advice on the content of his question from those who know a bit more about it than I do. But I will indicate this: ‘equivalence’ sounds to me like one of those words that has to have a common-sense definition. I am not going to make the mistake of giving some kind of on-the-run guarantee. I think it is reasonable that people who live in the more remote parts of the country should have a reasonably equivalent service to those who live in the more densely populated areas—that is a very understandable desire of people who live in regional Australia. That is why in a lot of areas, not only with mobile phone services but also with broadband, the government is going to great lengths to make certain that people in the remote areas of Australia are given a fair crack of the whip. As to the more precise elements of the honourable member’s question, I unashamedly say that I will get some advice and I will provide it to him as quickly as I can.