The Australian government plans to use Australia Post vehicles to conduct an audit of the country’s mobile telecommunications services.
The vehicles will be equipped with mobile signal measurement technology to gather data as they travel around. The project, which was funded with $20 million from last year’s federal budget, has now launched a tender seeking a technical advisor to assist with the initiative.
The audit is expected to encompass a wide range of data metrics, including mobile coverage signal and capacity data, signal availability and strength, and the impact of congestion. The technical advisor will help the department identify service providers to carry out the audit, which will leverage Australia Post’s infrastructure and corporate assets.
The consulting will commence on May 15 and end in December, with the option for two 12-month extensions.
The Australian government is interested in international experience in mobile coverage audits, particularly those conducted in North America, Europe, or New Zealand from 2018 onwards.