REGIONAL AREAS TO BE BETTER CONNECTED
RESIDENTS and businesses in North Queensland will now be better connected following a successful application for funding under Round 2 of the Regional Connectivity Program.
The more than $20.5m in government funding will be invested across North Queensland to deploy three macro mobile sites, three fixed wireless networks and upgrade the NBN service technology in several locations from NBN Sky Muster Satellite to NBN Fibre to the Premises technology.
“Digital connectivity is an essential part of how we work, learn, stay safe and remain in contact with loved ones,” Regional Communications Minister Bridget
Mckenzie said. Special Envoy for Northern Australia Susan Mcdonald said she had recently written to Telstra regarding service disruptions in Kennedy and was pleased to see more action being taken to address a pressing issue.
“Having access to fast reliable mobile service and internet is a matter of life and death in remote areas and it’s something I am constantly bringing up in Canberra,” Senator Mcdonald said.
LNP Kennedy candidate Bryce Macdonald said the reliability and range of mobile phone and internet services had been a constant theme during engagement with the community.
“Nowadays, everything from emergency management and telehealth to online education and precision agriculture depends on the capacity and the quality of the digital connectivity available, so this is a critical issue for the bush” he said.
“With more people now working remotely, rural communities have an opportunity to promote themselves as attractive places to live.”