By Zac de Silva in Canberra

Australians are being promised better access to phone service across the nation under reforms being introduced following major triple-zero outages.

Under the changes, telcos will be required offer text and phone call coverage in all outdoor areas, essentially eliminating mobile black spots by December 2027.

The federal government says the changes will add up to five million square kilometres of SMS and voice coverage, using a combination of regular cell towers and new satellite technology.

New satellite-to-mobile systems allow compatible phones to connect directly to satellites without a specialised handset.

The legislation will be introduced into parliament on Thursday and covers Telstra, Optus and TPG.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said it would make a difference,  particularly in regional areas.

“No Australian should be left behind and the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation will ensure Australians get a mobile signal almost anywhere they can see the sky,” she said in a statement.

The bill will include some provisions for satellite outages and other short-term failures, but telcos will be required to provide universal coverage as much as possible.

The government is also open to adjusting its December 2027 deadline if satellite-to-mobile technology is not sufficiently widespread.

Pressure has been mounting on the telecommunications sector after Optus’s triple-zero outage in September, which was linked to the deaths three people who could not call emergency services.

A separate outage on Wednesday, blamed on copper thieves cutting a cable, left more than 14,000 Victorians unable to make calls or use mobile data and also impacted access to emergency services.

The government’s push for near-universal mobile coverage was welcomed by the National Farmers’ Federation, which said the move would boost productivity in regional areas.

“Mobile connectivity isn’t a luxury for farmers and regional Australians, it’s fundamental for safety, their businesses, connecting families, and staying safe in emergencies,” NFF president Hamish McIntyre said.

“This is a world-first policy. If we get it right, Australia could become the gold standard for regional communications.”

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.