Archived Grant Opportunity View - GO4200

The Alternative Voice Services Trials (AVST) program will provide grants to organisations to trial alternative ways to deliver voice services in rural and remote areas of Australia inside NBN Co’s fixed wireless and satellite footprints, including those areas serviced by Telstra’s high capacity radio concentrator (HCRC) networks.  

The objective of the trials is to identify new ways to deliver voice services, including by new providers, and assess their effectiveness. The trials respond to concerns about existing voice solutions and the potential for alternative technologies to provide better services and functionality.

The trials were announced as part of the Government’s response to the 2018 Regional Telecommunications Review. The trials are a component of the Regional Connectivity Program which is part of the Stronger Regional Digital Connectivity Package. 

Applicants must: 

• be, or propose to become, a Carriage Service Provider (CSP) as defined in the Telecommunications Act 1997, or be a consortium with at least one organisation operating as, or proposing to operate as, a CSP
• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be registered for the purposes of GST
• have an account with an Australian financial institution
• if submitting a consortium application,  nominate a single lead applicant that will enter into any grant agreement with the Commonwealth, if successful.

October 2020 to March 2022

Note: The Department may hold further rounds of the program if the initial round is undersubscribed.

$2,000,000.00

Applications must be submitted by email to usg@communications.gov.au by the closing time (0900 on Monday 14 September 2020). If physical electronic media are to be lodged, they are to be addressed and delivered by the closing time to:

Questions should be submitted no later than 5:00pm ACT Local Time on Monday 7 September 2020.

Telstra Data on Services in Operation (SIOs)

As indicated in the guidelines, Telstra has provided a data file showing services in operation (SIOs) that can be used by applicants. While the program guidelines will be publicly available, the AVST data file is confidential information that will be made available only to entities with a demonstrable genuine interest in submitting an application for funding in relation to the program.

If you are interested in being an applicant and accessing this data please contact us at: USG@communications.gov.au.