Mobile Network Hardening Program Round 3 - Register your project proposal

Shared from https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/phone/mobile-network-hardening-program

The Mobile Network Hardening Program is an Australian Government initiative funding upgrades to improve the resilience of Australia's mobile network telecommunications infrastructure in regional and peri-urban Australia to:

  • prevent outages during a natural disaster;

  • strengthen the resilience of telecommunications facilities to allow them to operate for longer during natural disasters; and

  • support the rapid restoration of services following an outage.

Funding for the Program was provided in the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, which was announced in the 2022–23 Budget.

Round 3

The Government is providing up to $20 million (GST exclusive) for Round 3, which will fund mobile telecommunications Resilience Upgrades in areas impacted by, or at risk of, Natural Disasters in: 

  • regional and remote Australia, and 

  • the peri-urban fringe of 19 capital and major regional cities. 

The focus on areas impacted by, or at risk of, Natural Disasters reflects the increasing exposure of many regions to these events, and the need for communities to access resilient mobile communications services during and after these events.

The peri-urban fringe is where the bush meets the edges of the suburbs, creating risks of Natural Disasters for those living and working in these areas. Expansion of Round 3 to include peri-urban areas ensures these communities will also have access to resilient mobile communications services during and after Natural Disasters.

Round 3 will be delivered in two streams:

  • a $10 million (GST exclusive) ‘Regional and Remote Australia’ stream for projects that deliver Resilience Upgrades in regional, remote and very remote Australia, including First Nations communities; and

  • a $10 million (GST exclusive) ‘Peri-Urban Fringe’ stream for projects that deliver Resilience Upgrades in the peri-urban fringe of 19 capital and major regional cities (consistent with Round 2 of the Peri-Urban Mobile Program). 

  • Eligible areas for the two streams are shown on the Round 3 - Eligibility Map.

The Grant Opportunity Guidelines are expected to be released in October 2024. 

Project Noticeboard

A Project Noticeboard for Round 3 is now available for local governments and state, territory and federal parliamentarians to identify potential projects or locations which would benefit from a Resilience Upgrade. 

Industry applicants will be encouraged to consider the proposed projects and locations on the Project Noticeboard when developing their applications. 

It is important to note that posting on the Project Noticeboard does not guarantee that an application for funding for a project, or a project in the nominated location, will be submitted, or that funding will be allocated to the proposed project or location. However, it can help communities advise the industry of risks in regional and peri-urban Australia, and demonstrate support for new proposals.

The Round 3 Project Noticeboard will close one week before applications close to allow applicants time to consider advice provided through the Noticeboard. 

Siahn Garvey