WHEN was the last time you used a payphone? Or even a home landline, given one third of us now rely solely on mobile phones.

Mobiles and the internet are now the dominant forms of communication but, unlike landlines and payphones, there is no government mandated “universal service obligation” to protect the standards of service for these platforms.

With the rollout of the National Broadband Network to every corner of the country by 2020, there is a strong case to consider adopting a similar universal service obligation (USO) for broadband internet. This would be especially important in regional, remote and rural communities, as it could look at not just the provision of an adequate service and timely repairs, but the quality of that service. It could be delivered under the auspices of NBN Co, given its role in delivering the “hardware”, and limited responsibilities might also fall to the retail provider.

It could consider questions such as: Is the connection stable and reliable? Are data speeds acceptable? Are available data plans to the area sufficient for a business or household’s needs? At the moment, most people living outside our major towns and cities would answer “no, no and no”.

Remember, most of us living in the Adelaide area enjoy adequate mobile and internet coverage. We rely on market competition to ensure we receive a good standard of service, otherwise we walk.

But those in regional and remote SA don’t have that luxury.

They are arguably more reliant on such services to connect to their community, for schooling, or for health services such as counselling, as well as for their work, so it is reasonable to consider basic ongoing protections that help guard against poor service and slow repairs once the network is in place.

media_camera NBN chief executive officer Bill Morrow. Picture: Supplied

Last month, the Productivity Commission released a draft report which found the telecommunications universal service obligation on fixed phone lines had reached its use-by date. It recommended phasing it out, but stopped short of advocating that this USO migrate to broadband.

Instead it recommended a “baseline” broadband service — i.e. the minimum acceptable level of broadband and voice-over-internet services — be provided to all premises.

At first glance, that sounds acceptable.

However, there is then a question as to whether requiring no more than the most basic level of connection would entrench poor service standards in regional, rural and remote areas, which already suffer from slow and unreliable internet and lack of choice.

It would do nothing to ensure they get the levels of data they need but currently can’t access.

Another argument for migrating the USO to broadband is that it would extend the Customer Service Guarantee to the NBN, so customers whose service faults are not addressed within specified time frames could be paid compensation.

And if we are looking at delivering a truly reliable NBN service, one thing we can’t overlook is the redundancy in the system.

What happens in the case of another massive blackout? At the moment, only NBN boxes connected directly to the premise via fibre-to-the-premises (which will account for about one in five homes and businesses by 2020) have optional battery backup.

Anyone else can say bye-bye to their internet phone and broadband connection whenever the power dies.

As another example, the wireless NBN on offer in regional areas typically only has fibre going to the first base station and that then transmits to the next tower, and so on.

If one goes down, whether through damage or prolonged power failure, none of the remaining others will work.

Such mass dropouts in connection would have very real productivity consequences, not to mention the potential risks to health and more.

These are issues that need to be considered as the rollout of the NBN’s infrastructure escalates and as more premises across Australia are connected.

Senator Stirling Griff is the communications spokesman for the Nick Xenophon Team and a member of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network.