Connectivity is calling: The benefits of expanded Vodafone regional coverage
In early 2025, Vodafone significantly expanded its regional connectivity through a network-sharing agreement with Optus. Through enabling shared regional infrastructure use without duplicative investment, this agreement has significantly expanded coverage, lifted network speeds and improved value for money for Vodafone customers, providing significant economic and social benefits to regional households and businesses.
Mobile connectivity underpins Australia’s economic and social wellbeing. Yet for some regional communities, mobile coverage has historically been unreliable, expensive or unavailable, limiting access to essential services, constraining business productivity and reducing connection to family, friends and community.
In early 2025, Vodafone significantly expanded its regional network through a network-sharing agreement with Optus. As a result of this agreement, Vodafone doubled its national footprint and introduced a new mobile network choice in many regional areas for the first time. This regional network expansion has significantly expanded coverage, lifted network speeds and improved value for money for Vodafone customers, while strengthening competition across regional and metropolitan mobile markets.
A year on from the network expansion, Vodafone has asked Deloitte Access Economics to value the social and economic impacts of this increase in regional connectivity on Australian mobile users. Enhanced connectivity is worth $341 million per year to existing Vodafone customers nationwide. Monthly connections joining Vodafone increased by 29%, with surveyed regional customers that joined Vodafone reporting a saving of up to $182 per year on mobile plans. Further, an average 29 megabit per second (Mbps) increase in network speeds has contributed to an estimated $89 million productivity benefit to the Australian economy in 2025.
Overall, the benefits of improved mobile connectivity explored in this report highlight the critical importance of connectivity for lifting social and economic outcomes across Australia.
