Senator Alston's office today announced the subsidy would be available to people living in areas which were beyond CDMA or GSM terrestrial mobile phone coverage.
Those eligible can apply for a one-off grant of up to 50 percent (up to AU$1100) towards the cost of purchasing a mobile satellite phone handset. Community groups, small businesses and emergency services in those areas may also be eligible.
In a statement relating to the move, Alston's office has indicated that the subsidy is a response to findings from the Telecommunications Service Inquiry (TSI).
The inquiry found that people living in rural and remote areas had expressed concerns about certain aspects of telco services. This included provision and repair of basic telephone services, mobile phone coverage at affordable prices, and reliable access to the Internet.
