Residents in the Gulf of Carpentaria continue to suffer the consequences of poor internet services. The region relies on Telehealth, which is often unreliable, resulting in residents’ connections continually dropping during appointments.
Telehealth isn’t the only area where residents suffer, however: businesses can’t use EFTPOS, remote learning isn’t possible, and meetings can’t happen…
The community welcomes the government and NBN’s $750m investment, which promises faster internet speeds in rural communities.
Kristy Sparrow from the Better Internet for Rural, Regional & Remote Australia, who has spent eight years lobbying the federal government, says that the cash boost will “provide more transparent, effective internet plans for regional and remote families.”
Yet many believe that it will not be enough to “bridge an outback digital divide that has been years in the making” and warn that it “isn’t a silver bullet solution.”
While some question the timing of the funding, just prior to the federal election, Sparrow nonetheless believes it will be transformative for remote regions. The upgrade promises to deliver faster internet speeds to bush communities, expand access to the NBN’s fixed wireless service and provide unmetered data allowances to Sky Muster customers, who rely on two geostationary communications satellites operated by NBN.
Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde also praises the funding. However, he also acknowledges that much more is needed to “map the black spots, the uncovered areas, the marginal areas of the service footprints.”
The need for increased digital literacy in remote regional areas remains more critical than ever.