Southern Phone

Southern Phone Company is one of the largest and most successful providers of fixed line, mobile and Internet communications services in regional Australia. We were formed in 2002 after receiving $4.77 million in funding from the Australian Government's Networking the Nation scheme. Our vision was to deliver more affordable telecommunications services to regional communities and to share our success with those communities. Under our Constitution, only Australian Local Government Councils can hold shares in Southern Phone Company Ltd. Our dividends are paid to our Local Government shareholders and used for the benefit of their local communities. We now serve a national customer base, from Cape York to Zeehan, from Bega to Broome. We provide more than 130 jobs at our Moruya (NSW) head office and we've returned millions of dollars to regional communities since we declared our first dividend in 2009. Why is Southern Phone needed? The cost of telecommunications in regional Australia has long been a source of concern and discussion. The lack of competition in regional areas has meant prices and other aspects of service delivery have not met the expectations of the community to the extent realised in metropolitan areas. The Local Councils behind the development of Southern Phone realised that while generally good services are available, it would only be the introduction of competition in many smaller centres that would deliver lower pricing and other service improvements.