DARWIN, LARRAKIA COUNTRY - Telstra pledged to spend $150 million with Indigenous businesses over the next three years as part of its sixth Reconciliation Action Plan, launched yesterday at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory on Larrakia Country, Darwin.
The "Stretch" RAP, covering July 2025 to June 2028, sets out more than 90 actions aimed at improving digital inclusion, employment opportunities, infrastructure and procurement outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It comes four years after the company's previous RAP was downgraded, following findings of serious misconduct towards Indigenous customers.
The launch brought together Telstra CEO Vicki Brady and the company's entire senior leadership team as well as Karen Mundine, CEO of Reconciliation Australia, Dot West OAM, Co-chair of the federal government's First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, Northern Territory Leader of the Opposition Selena Uibo, and MLA Chansey Paech, alongside community representatives and industry partners.
Brady, who became Telstra's first female CEO in 2022, following a period of turmoil at the Telco, said the plan marked a turning point in the company's relationship with First Nations peoples.
"We've made mistakes that caused real harm, and this plan is about making sure those mistakes never happen again," she told attendees. "Technology connects people, but connection must be built on respect and understanding. This plan sets out the commitments we expect to be judged on over the next three years."
Telstra CEO Vikki Brady with Selena Uibo, Northern Territory Opposition Leader, Chansey Paech MLA and Telstra exec Lyndall Stoyles. Credit Helen Orr
Telstra's RAP is structured around four focus areas: infrastructure, employment, procurement, and digital inclusion. Each area sets measurable targets intended to deliver change across the company and the communities it serves.
Infrastructure: Over the last three years, Telstra upgraded services in 30 regional and remote First Nations communities. The new RAP commits to 68 co-investment projects with the Northern Territory and federal governments to improve mobile and broadband coverage in underserved areas. These projects are aimed at closing persistent connectivity gaps that limit access to education, health, government services, and business opportunities in remote communities.
Employment: First Nations people currently make up 1.3% of Telstra's Australian workforce, representing 319 employees. The new RAP sets a goal of at least 1.5% by 2028. To achieve this, Telstra will expand its trainee and cadet programs, create leadership pathways, and introduce mentoring initiatives to support retention and career progression. Every Telstra employee now completes cultural competency training, and an additional 1,500 staff will attend in-depth, face-to-face sessions over the next three years.
Procurement: Telstra spent $48 million with First Nations suppliers under its last RAP. The new plan triples that ambition, targeting $50 million a year by 2028. More than 250 Indigenous-owned businesses are expected to benefit, providing goods and services to Telstra across construction, logistics, technology and consulting.
Digital inclusion: Programs such as inDigiMOB and Mapping the Digital Gap will be expanded to deliver digital skills training, online safety education and affordable technology access in remote areas. Outreach teams will conduct 150 community visits annually, delivering face-to-face support and working directly with local leaders to tailor services. Telstra also plans to develop new prepaid products designed to meet the specific needs of people living in remote communities.
Brady said these commitments were shaped by conversations with First Nations people across the country.
"We can't sit in Sydney and understand what's happening on the ground," she said. "We have to visit communities, listen, and act on what we hear. Every dollar, every project, every visit under this RAP needs to make a real difference."
Telstra CEO Vikki Brady with Senior Leadership Team and RAP advocates. Credit Helen Orr
Telstra's previous Elevate-level RAP was revoked in 2021 following a landmark case by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Certain Telstra-licensed stores were found to have engaged in unconscionable conduct, selling complex, high-cost mobile contracts to Indigenous customers between 2016 and 2018, leaving many in debt. Telstra admitted the misconduct, paid a $50 million penalty - the largest in Australian consumer law history for such conduct - and launched a remediation program that has since reached thousands of affected people.
Karen Mundine, CEO of Reconciliation Australia, said Telstra's journey since then had been hard-won.
"Reconciliation does not happen by accident," she said. "A RAP only matters when it is embedded into the DNA of an organisation. Successful RAPs hardwire change into systems and structures - they create relationships, build respect, and open opportunities. I'm immensely proud to see how far Telstra has come over the past four years, and I'm excited to see this new Stretch RAP come to life."
Dot West OAM, Co-chair of the federal First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, highlighted the role that connectivity plays in delivering economic, social and cultural opportunities to First Nations peoples.
"We have to have our telcos working together with our communities to close the digital divide," she said. "It's about collaboration and partnership. This is what real change looks like - it's industry stepping up, working with us, listening, and acting on what communities say they need."
West said Telstra had shown it was willing to engage and respond to advice from the Advisory Group.
"We've been pleased to see Telstra act on the discussions we've had, particularly the introduction of a more affordable prepaid plan for people living in remote communities," she said. "This builds on support for the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, their digital literacy programs like inDigiMOB, and the establishment of dedicated First Nations call centres."
She said the company's actions were strengthened by the way they were designed.
"Behind the commitments released today, there's been a year of engagement to design actions that matter," she said. "Telstra has worked at the speed of trust, listening to communities and recognising things don't stay the same. That's what gives this RAP strength and what makes me optimistic about what can be achieved."
Telstra continues its long-standing sponsorship of the Telstra National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) in Darwin, a relationship now spanning more than 30 years. Earlier this month, it also announced sponsorship of the Certified Supplier of the Year category at the 2025 Supply Nation Awards, highlighting its focus on growing Indigenous business networks beyond its own procurement activities.
Telstra is Australia's largest telecommunications provider, with over 24 million mobile services, 3.6 million fixed-line and broadband customers, and a network covering 99.7% of the population. The company services more than 200 First Nations communities, often as the only available provider, making affordability, accessibility and cultural safety critical issues.
Image supplied. Free Wi-Fi is now available to anyone across selected Telstra payphones
Brady said Telstra's purpose is "to build a connected future so everyone can thrive," emphasising the word everyone. "We know trust is earned, not given," she said. "This RAP is just the start. We want to be judged on what we deliver for First Nations peoples over the next three years. We've worked with communities to design these commitments, and we are determined to see them through."
Telstra's latest RAP is both a response to past failures and a statement of intent for the future. With public commitments on procurement, employment, digital inclusion and infrastructure investment, and annual reporting promised, the company says it is ready to be held accountable for progress.
As Karen Mundine reminded attendees: "Successful RAPs are not about glossy brochures. They are about hardwiring reconciliation into an organisation so that change is real and lasting."
Dot West OAM noted, progress "must move at the speed of trust" - something that only time, action and genuine collaboration will prove.
Telstra's Latest Reconciliation Action Plan can be read here: www.telstra.com.au/first-nations-australians
