Temporary Disaster Roaming in Australia: How It Helps You Stay Connected During Natural Disasters
Bushfires, floods and cyclones can damage telecommunications infrastructure and leave communities without their usual mobile coverage. A new Australian telecommunications initiative called Temporary Disaster Roaming (TDR) is designed to provide an additional way for people to stay connected when major natural disasters disrupt mobile networks.
Here’s what Temporary Disaster Roaming is, how it works, and what mobile users need to know.
What is Temporary Disaster Roaming?
Temporary Disaster Roaming, or TDR, allows compatible mobile phones to temporarily connect to another participating Australian mobile network when a customer’s usual network has been disrupted by a major natural disaster.
For example, if your usual mobile network is unavailable following a bushfire, flood or cyclone, but another participating mobile network is still operating in the affected area, your phone may be able to use that network temporarily.
The aim is simple: to help Australians stay connected to essential communications and information during an emergency.
What can you do with Temporary Disaster Roaming?
When TDR is activated, eligible customers may be able to:
Make and receive voice calls
Send and receive SMS messages
Access limited mobile data
Access critical websites and applications, such as emergency information and messaging services
It’s important to remember that TDR is designed primarily for essential connectivity during a disaster. Mobile data may therefore be more limited than the service you normally receive from your mobile plan.
When is Temporary Disaster Roaming activated?
TDR is not something that customers can manually switch on whenever their mobile coverage is unavailable.
It is intended for exceptional circumstances involving major natural disasters, such as:
Bushfires
Floods
Cyclones
Other major natural disasters that cause significant mobile network disruption
Before TDR can be activated, there must also be another participating mobile network operating in the affected area with enough capacity to safely support additional users.
Participating network operators will assess the situation and determine whether TDR can be activated without putting the remaining network at risk.
This follows a “do no harm” principle: maintaining connectivity is important, but operators also need to make sure that bringing additional users onto the surviving network does not cause further network disruption.
Where is Temporary Disaster Roaming available?
TDR is designed for eligible regional and rural areas affected by major natural disasters.
It is not intended to provide additional everyday mobile coverage and is not available as permanent domestic roaming.
TDR is also not designed for metropolitan areas.
Availability will depend on the individual disaster and several factors, including:
The location and extent of the network outage
Whether another participating mobile network is operating in the area
The capacity available on the other network
Technical and operational conditions at the time
This means TDR may not be available during every natural disaster or in every affected location.
What happens if all mobile networks in the area are down?
Temporary Disaster Roaming can only work if another participating mobile network is still operating in the affected location.
If a disaster damages all available mobile networks in an area, there may be no network available for your phone to roam onto.
TDR should therefore be considered an additional layer of resilience rather than a guarantee of mobile coverage during every emergency.
Which mobile networks participate in TDR?
Temporary Disaster Roaming involves Australia’s three major mobile network operators:
Telstra
Optus
Vodafone/TPG Telecom
Customers of participating wholesale providers and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) operating across these networks may also be eligible.
Availability will still depend on the affected location, network conditions, customer service and device compatibility.
Does my phone support Temporary Disaster Roaming?
To use TDR, customers generally need a compatible mobile phone that supports VoLTE roaming.
VoLTE stands for Voice over LTE, which allows voice calls to be made using a 4G mobile network.
Most modern smartphones support VoLTE roaming, although some older phones and non-standard devices may not be compatible.
Device compatibility is particularly important as Australia continues to rely on newer mobile network technologies following the closure of older network services.
Do I need to manually change mobile networks?
For compatible devices, Temporary Disaster Roaming is designed to allow customers to connect to the supporting network when TDR has been activated and the required conditions are met.
You generally shouldn’t need to sign up for a different mobile provider or purchase another service just to access TDR during an eligible event.
However, access will always depend on the network, device and operational conditions at the time of the disaster.
Can I still call Triple Zero if TDR isn't available?
Yes.
Temporary Disaster Roaming is separate from existing Triple Zero (000) emergency calling arrangements.
Even if TDR is unavailable, compatible mobile phones can attempt to make an emergency call to Triple Zero (000) using any available Australian mobile network.
TDR provides an additional option that may allow broader services — such as ordinary calls, SMS and limited data to remain available during certain disasters.
What doesn't Temporary Disaster Roaming support?
TDR is specifically designed for compatible mobile phones and is not intended to support every type of connected device or service.
It does not provide support for:
Permanent domestic roaming
International roaming
Medical alert devices
Personal alarm systems
EFTPOS terminals
Internet of Things (IoT) devices
Machine-to-machine services
Emergency services disaster-response coordination systems
People who rely on specialised communications or medical devices should continue to follow the emergency and backup arrangements recommended for those services.
Why is Temporary Disaster Roaming important?
Australia is regularly affected by natural disasters, and mobile connectivity can become especially important when communities need access to emergency warnings, family members and essential information.
TDR provides another layer of resilience for Australia’s telecommunications networks.
It won't prevent mobile towers from being damaged or guarantee coverage everywhere during an emergency. However, where another network remains operational and has sufficient capacity, it may help people stay connected even when their usual network is unavailable.
For Australians living in regional and rural communities in particular, that additional option could make an important difference during a major natural disaster.
Staying prepared during an emergency
Temporary Disaster Roaming is a valuable additional safeguard, but it shouldn't replace your usual emergency preparation.
During severe weather or natural disasters, consider:
Keeping your phone charged
Having a portable power bank available
Downloading relevant emergency apps before an emergency occurs
Keeping important contact numbers available offline
Following advice from emergency services and local authorities
Conserving your phone battery and mobile data if telecommunications infrastructure is affected
Most importantly, remember that TDR depends on another mobile network remaining operational. There may still be circumstances where no mobile coverage is available.
Find out more about Temporary Disaster Roaming
Temporary Disaster Roaming is an important new step towards improving the resilience of Australia’s mobile networks during major natural disasters.
For the latest information about TDR, including how and when it may be activated, visit the Australian Telecommunications Alliance Temporary Disaster Roaming information page.
