Stephen Jones, Shadow Minister for Regional Communications, has criticised the Coalition for inflating the success of their Mobile Blackspot Program, which after 18 months has only delivered 80 of the 499 base stations promised under Round 1.

Today in Parliament, the Minister for Urban Infrastructure accused Labor of showing indifference to improving the mobile communications and in rural and regional Australia, despite widespread criticism for the design of their own Mobile Blackspot Program, personally overseen by Minister Fletcher.

The Coalitions $220 million Mobile Blackspot Program is a dud. A quarter of the new mobile phone towers funded in round one provide no new or extended coverage, said Mr Jones.

First, we had a scathing ANAO Report into Round 1, which revealed serious flaws with the design of the program, then we had the Productivity Commission echoing those concerns.

Eighty percent of the new towers for Round 1 are in LNP seats, and Round 2 is going to be no different. This is clearly about electability over connectivity.

Labor is fully committed to regional communications, and its disappointing to see the connectivity of regional Australians used as part of political spin and game-playing.