REGIONAL Communications Minister Fiona Nash says bush internet services may not be perfect but are on an upward trajectory under the Coalition government and will be further boosted by the Sky Muster satellite’s live launch in coming weeks.
Last week Fairfax Media reported on a regional business owner’s anger at being advised to log onto the internet at 2am to achieve maximum download speeds which eventually drew an apology from Telstra.
Senator Nash said any indication given to somebody living in a regional area that 2am was an appropriate time to access the internet and conduct normal business services was “clearly unacceptable and something I’ll be chasing up”.
However, farmers and other rural business owners, like those offended by Telstra’s errant log-on advice, can soon access speeds of up to 25 megabits per second download and 5 Mbps upload, under the two nbn Sky Muster satellites.
Senator Nash played down suggestions the rural and city digital divide was expanding under the Coalition’s watch saying she was broadly pleased with where the government was at, in terms of nbn delivery.
“When we first came into government one of the first things we did was re-prioritise the nbn to focus on rural and regional first which in my view is absolutely necessary and I’m really proud of that,” she said.
“I think there have been massive improvements here.
“I look back to 10 years ago in the regions and, in comparing that time to now, there have been massive strides forward and I think we’re seeing real improvements out there in the regions.
Senator Nash said the situation wasn’t perfect and some people remained frustrated at not having yet received the level of connectivity they want.
But she said, “We’re getting better all the time and we’ve made some real strides”.
“I’m really looking forward to this Sky Muster satellite being switched on,” she said.
Senator Nash said the first Sky Muster satellite had been testing well and was due to be online by the end of April which would allow regional residents to order internet service options.
She said the new satellite service would take time to roll-out but it should deliver the opportunity for internet connectivity to around 250,000 homes and businesses.
With plans for another nbn satellite to go into orbit at the end of the year – ultimately reaching up to 400,000 homes or businesses - she said that was “really good news for people out in the regions”.
“The nbn is going to offer really good service in terms of fixed wireless to farmers and through satellite provision and we’ll see services provided where they haven’t been in the past and everyone thinks that’s a good thing,” she said.
“I know there are discussions about different platforms - be it fixed line or fixed wireless or satellite - but at the end of the day people just want that connectivity and that’s what we’re progressively rolling out and getting to people, right across the country.”
National Farmers Federation President Brent Finlay said improved internet connectivity was “vitally important” as it would give Australian agriculture one of its biggest opportunities for productivity gains.
But Mr Finlay said if the digital divide continued to expand, and public and private investment in communications infrastructure failed to grow, it would “hold agriculture back”.
He said right now in regional Australia “we have the haves, and the have nots” in terms of digital access.
“People are trying to run big successful businesses, using the latest technologies, but because they don’t have the basic connectivity, they can’t do it,” he said.
“That’s a major restriction on our capacity to improve productivity and any investment or solutions are critical, to any future government commitments.”
Mr Finlay said digital connectivity issues were discussed at the most recent NFF Board meeting where six out of the seven directors present expressed problems.
In the upcoming federal budget, and as an election campaign priority, he said the NFF wanted to see money committed to the mobile blackspots program.
The NFF’s pre-budget submission said despite rollout of the fibre to underpin the nbn in urban areas and regional centres, it was “critical” that the copper network be maintained to provide the option of a fixed line telephone to those who would otherwise use a fixed wireless or satellite internet connection.
NFF said the mobile blackspots program was such a significant investment in the development of regional Australia that it warranted increased certainty with bipartisan support and funding locked in across the forward estimates.
Senator Nash said she would not comment on what the federal budget would contain for regional communications programs or other programs.
But she said the government’s work rolling-out the nbn and improved focus on rural and regional areas had been “really significant”, compared to the previous Labor government, “which was more focussed on the cities”.
“We made sure the nbn roll out focussed on rural and regional communities - up the priority list - whereas Labor had rural and regional communities down the priority list and I think that’s the stark difference,” she said.
Senator Nash said the government’s blackspots program had allocated $100 million in round one.
But with the funding leveraged funding from telecommunication companies, State governments and some local governments the program’s investment had totalled $385m which provided 499 base stations, she said.
Senator Nash said telecommunication companies now had until mid-June to provide proposals on $60m in round two of the program.
“The stark contrast here is Labor did not put $1 dollar into mobile blackspots so it has been the Coalition government that has recognised the need and ensured we had the knowledge around where those blackspot areas are with the lists that we created,” she said.
“We then created the opportunity for the partnership with tele-communications companies to now roll out 499 base stations, which is a fantastic outcome.
“It’s structured so that we get the maximum amount of coverage from the funding available.
“What we want to do is get service where it isn’t, or up upgrade service where it’s really bad.”