A discussion paper on design options for Round 5A has been released in order to gauge whether a range of new approaches to the delivery of the program are fit-for-all-purpose.

Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie, said the first five rounds of the program had seen more than $830 million invested and 1,229 new towers funded across the country.

Locally, funding for new towers to improve mobile service at Elands, Comboyne, Firefly and Wherrol Flat has been secured.

"The coalition government understands the importance of connectivity to regional communities, so we're getting on with the job of building more phone towers to deliver more coverage," Dr Gillespie said.

"The discussion paper is a great opportunity for regional Australians to have their say on how the program can best deliver the mobile coverage they need into the future.

"I am committed to delivering improved coverage for towns and villages across the Mid Coast.

"With $46 million on the table for Round 5A and a further $80 million committed for Round 6, the MBSP has plenty more to do."

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The discussion paper proposes a series of changes to the eligibility guidelines for the program, so that it continues to deliver beneficial outcomes to regional and remote communities across Australia.

The three main objectives proposed for Round 5A are:

To provide input on the design of the next round of the program, click here.

The discussion paper is open for submissions until June 19, 2020.

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