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New research exposes a paradox in Australia's property market: most buyers want excellent mobile coverage but don't want to see the infrastructure that delivers it. While 61% refuse to buy homes in mobile blackspots, 55% won't pay full price for properties near visible 5G towers. This "Goldilocks zone" demand is shrinking the pool of acceptable properties, with only 8% of buyers willing to purchase blackspot homes without hesitation, and nearly 70% calling for mandatory disclosure laws.
New research reveals a striking contradiction in Australian homebuyers' connectivity preferences: while 55% don't want to live near a 5G tower, a decisive 61% would refuse to purchase a home in a mobile phone signal blackspot, dramatically shrinking the buyer pool for properties with poor coverage.
The findings expose a critical "Goldilocks zone" for mobile connectivity, where buyers demand reliable coverage without the visual presence of nearby towers.
Blackspot properties face double penalty
Properties lacking reliable mobile coverage struggle to attract buyers, with only 8% willing to purchase without hesitation. A further 14% would consider buying but demand a discount, quantifying the financial "blackspot penalty."
The research reveals notable demographic divides: 65% of women refuse blackspot properties compared to 57% of men, while Baby Boomers show the highest resistance (66%), their purchasing power enabling them to be far more selective than younger generations competing in an affordability crisis.
- 61% Homebuyers who refuse to purchase properties in mobile blackspots
- 55% Buyers unwilling to pay full price for homes near visible 5G towers
- 8% Buyers willing to purchase blackspot properties without hesitation
- 69% Australians who believe mobile blackspot status should be legally disclosed by real estate agents
- 11,767 Telstra's total 4G and 5G towers across Australia
- 12.6% Growth in Telstra's tower network over five years
Coverage maps don't tell the full story
Even as Australia's mobile infrastructure expands, with Telstra's 4G and 5G tower network growing to 11,767 towers (up 12.6% over five years), official coverage maps don't always reflect reality on the ground.
69% demand mandatory disclosure
An overwhelming 69% of Australians believe real estate agents should be legally required to disclose if a property sits in a mobile blackspot, treating connectivity as critical infrastructure on par with electricity and water.
The demand for transparency becomes even more critical given that official coverage sources don't always match reality. Buildings, terrain, and local interference create dead zones that don't appear on carrier maps, making real estate agents' local knowledge invaluable for buyers navigating this complex landscape.
Australia's Most Unreliable Mobile Coverage by State
Analysis of government Mobile Audit Visualisation data reveals the LGAs in each state with the most inconsistent coverage reports, where carrier maps diverge most significantly from actual signal performance:
Queensland: Murweh (population 3,992, 654km west of Brisbane)
Northern Territory: Roper Gulf (7,516 residents, 15km east of Darwin)
Western Australia: Broome (18,870 residents, 1,683km northeast of Perth)
Victoria: Glenelg (20,007 residents, 315km west of Melbourne)
New South Wales: Cobar (4,015 residents, 567km northwest of Sydney)
Tasmania: Waratah-Wynyard (14,905 residents, 234km northwest of Hobart)
South Australia: Tatiara (7,071 residents, 224km northwest of Adelaide)
Australian homebuyers have created an almost impossible standard: they want seamless mobile coverage without seeing the towers that make it possible. This contradiction is creating a narrow "acceptable" band of properties, those with good coverage but no visible infrastructure, and penalising homes at both extremes. Properties in blackspots face a severe buyer penalty, effectively losing more than 90% of unreserved buyers, while homes near towers sacrifice value due to proximity stigma. The growing call for mandatory disclosure (supported by 69% of Australians) suggests connectivity is now viewed as essential infrastructure, similar to water and power. For sellers in blackspot areas or near visible towers, this means navigating a market where perception matters as much as reality, and where official coverage maps often fail to reflect the actual mobile experience. As Baby Boomers with strong purchasing power lead the charge in rejecting blackspot properties, younger buyers stretched by affordability pressures have less room to be selective, creating yet another generational divide in Australia's housing crisis.
