Rural and remote communities are expecting better internet and mobile connections after NBN Co announced it will establish its own regional and remote unit.
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The separate unit in NBN will have its own chief development officer - Gavin Williams - and is expected to provide greater certainty with internet access and greater speed and volume for users. It includes fixed wireless and satellite services.
Members of the Rural, Regional and Remote Communications Coalition (RRRCC) said the decision demonstrates NBN Co was prepared to "take on the unique challenges of delivering world class digital connectivity to Australians living in regional, rural and remote areas".
National Farmers' Federation CEO and RRRCC member Tony Mahar said: "It also shows a genuine commitment by NBN Co to helping regional Australia realise its potential.
Mr Mahar said NBN Co new business unit will have responsibility for end to end management of fixed wireless and satellite services, and will include an expanded community and stakeholder engagement team to work closely with regional customers.
AgForce Queensland CEO Mike Guerin said "AgForce is a founding member of the RRRCC, and together with the 20 other organisations that make up the RRRCC we have been calling for improved reliability and equity in data services," Mr Guerin said.
"For this to be achieved, it is critical that NBN Co works closely with the regional customer base to understand and deliver on their connectivity needs. The announcement today by NBN Co is a decisive step in the right direction, and is very much welcomed by all RRRCC members."
NBN Co also formally launched its new Business Satellite Service, designed to meet the growing needs of medium or large businesses and government users based in regional and remote areas.
NBN said the new business unit will "bring together all aspects of the fixed wireless and satellite teams from engineering through to operations to ensure regional customers remain front and centre as the nbn™ network build nears completion". "The new division will include an expanded community and stakeholder engagement capability to ensure that customer expectations are understood, including across different community segments and business sectors," it said.
It said the new nbn™ Satellite Service, will help meet the "increasing needs of medium or large businesses, enterprise and government users in regional and remote areas, or businesses that have employees in hard to reach areas"
"The new service will provide access to fast broadband and business-grade support for businesses across Australia, helping them access national and international markets and generate new economic opportunities in regional and remote areas."
NBN said the announcment came on the back of recent intiatives that included:
- Fixed Wireless upgrades: delivering an additional $800 million investment helping to manage capacity and performance on the fixed wireless network over the next four years.
- Sky Muster Plus: delivering unmetered access for select applications. Providing access to fast and accessible broadband services with the additional benefit of unmetered data for activities like web browsing (static images and text only), select emailing and PC and Smartphone operating system software updates, subject to certain exclusions. #
- Expansion of nbn Local: expanding the on the-ground community and stakeholder engagement team who work to help lift digital capability, improve customer experience, ensure larger local problems and concerns are identified early and addressed; and raise awareness about the social and economic benefits that fast broadband can deliver.
- Transit capacity upgrade: switching on a major upgrade to double bandwidth capacity on its 60,000km fibre optic backbone. The upgrade means NBN Co can increase maximum capacity on its transit network from 9.6 Terabits per second (Tbps) to 19.2Tbps per fibre link, which will help meet the broadband needs of homes and businesses into the future. Upgrades will span high-traffic fibre links such as the 3,600km route between Brisbane, Queensland and Darwin in the Northern Territory.
NBN Co's CEO Stephen Rue said: "Since Armidale became the first site to go live back in 2011 the nbn™ access network has delivered significant benefits across Australia and we know that the connectivity benefits for vital Australian industries critical to regional Australia, such as agriculture and tourism, are many."
NBN Co Chief Development Officer, Regional & Remote, Gavin Williams said: "Data consumption on the nbn™ broadband access network has increased by almost 25 per cent in the past 12 months and almost half of all data (48%) is consumed outside of metropolitans areas. Ensuring we continue to meet customer needs and raise the digital capability of regional and remote areas is an absolute priority."
John Ellicott
journalist and author
journalist and author
