FSG awarded $0.9M for Domestic Roaming Trial with Optus and Launch Australia’s 4th Mobile Network

Field Solutions Holdings (ASX: FSG), Australia’s leading rural, regional, and remote challenger telecommunications carrier, is pleased to announce it has been awarded an additional $0.9M from the Federal Government’s Mobile Blackspots Program Round 5a to trial domestic roaming.

Highlights

FSG successfully obtained funding under Mobile Blackspots Round 5a to trial domestic roaming between the Nationwide Optus Mobile Network and the FSG’s 4G ‘Regional Australia Network’ (R.A.N). “The Regional Australia Network is designed to be deployed in under serviced areas in rural, regional and remote Australia, allowing these communities and business to receive services on-par with metro areas”, outlines Andrew Roberts, CEO FSG. “The roaming trial will allow us to test the ability for these place-based networks to operate in conjunction with the Optus Network nationwide”, says Roberts.

FSG will deliver high-speed broadband – symmetric and asymmetric services for agribusiness, business, and residents of rural, regional, and remote Australia. “Our current networks deliver much needed services, allowing access to high-speed reliable broadband,” said Andrew Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Field Solutions. “FSG’s ‘Regional Australia Network’ will deliver true broadband and 4G / 5G and IoT mobile services”, says Roberts.

FSG will build, construct, and operate place-based comprehensive 4G and 5G mobile and broadband networks for rural, regional, and remote Australia. “Our business model is significantly community led. We are proud to work with regional communities and businesses to guide the rollout of telecommunications infrastructure where it is needed,” says Roberts. “Now adding 4G and 5G mobile services delivers the final piece of the puzzle”.

FSG’s Regional Australia Network will target underserved areas of rural, regional, and remote Australia, enabling FSG to deploy mobile services to meet a place-based need for broadband and mobile connectivity. “Digital agriculture is demanding greater levels of connectivity as more advanced and bandwidth heavy applications and services are utilised”, says Roberts. “FSG’s Regional Australia Network will not only address these localised needs, our partnership with Optus ensures national coverage is coupled with the delivery of the Regional Australia Network footprint”, says Roberts.

The trial will allow FSG and Optus to test and prove the ability of their respective customers to roam across each other’s networks.

With comprehensive roaming in place, FSG’s place-based network will be a truly national offering that utilises Optus’ network and continues to allow FSG to deliver connectivity and network capability in rural, regional, and remote Australia.

“As a strong and long-time supporter of the Government’s Mobile Black Spot Program it is fantastic to see more funding going into this important initiative and in particular, support for these innovative trials. These trials offer an exciting opportunity, in collaboration with industry partners, to look at new, cost-effective ways to deploy reliable network coverage in regional– and we look forward to working with Field Solutions Group to bring this significant trial to life,” said Andrew Sheridan, Optus Vice President Regulatory and Public Affairs.

The project will commence in August 2021, with FSG going to market to review and select technology partners to participate in the trial. FSG anticipates commercial release of services later this financial year.

This announcement has been authorised for release by the Board of FSG.