Media Release

Public phones for remote Indigenous communities

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy today announced the installation of the first public phones under the Backing Indigenous Ability (BIA) Telecommunications program.

This first wave of deployment will see 20 phones for 24-hour community use in remote communities in the Northern Territory by the end of 2008.

"Telecommunications is a vital service and has important implications for health, education, safety and business in Indigenous communities," Senator Conroy said.

Four of the new community phones have been placed in small out-stations in the vicinity of Wadeye in the Northern Territory (Kuy, Merrepen, Nemarluk and Wudapuli). A further 16 are scheduled to be installed in other areas of the Northern Territory.

These initial phone installations are the result of an interim arrangement between the Government and Telstra.

A longer-term contract for the installation and operation of up to 300 additional community phones is intended to commence in the first half of 2009.

"This program will ensure that more remote Indigenous communities have access to telephone facilities," Senator Conroy said.

The BIA Telecommunications program aims to increase the take-up and use of communications technologies in remote Indigenous communities, by assisting communities that are among the most disadvantaged in Australia.

The program is delivering fixed community phones or mobile satellite handsets to remote Indigenous communities with populations under 50 and without access to a public payphone.

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Date: 13 November 2008
Contact: Tim Marshall 0408 258 457