A TELCO giant’s plan to bolster mobile coverage in the bush will be welcome news for the region’s agricultural sector, the business chamber president says.
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Optus recently unveiled its $1 billion infrastructure spend-up in regional Australia with plans to build more than 500 new phone towers in the next year.
This includes new sites in Gunnedah, Carroll and Curlewis.
Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce president, Mike Broekman, said it was about time rural sectors stopped getting left behind in communications and connectivity.
He said agriculture was “the backbone of the nation”, but felt it was often left with “second-string” service.
“You don’t have to go that far out of Gunnedah before you’re out of phone service,” Mr Broekman said.
“Ag businesses are moving towards digital resolutions faster than most, but they’re not getting supported at that rate.”
Mr Broekman said Optus’ plan to build new towers would provide an “important service” in the district and called on the government to consider regional areas more often.
“That’s the plight of rural Australia, with the lack of volume we’ve got to fight to get our our fair share,” he said. “The decision-makers should keep in mind where the economy starts.”
Optus chief executive officer Allen Lew made the billion-dollar announcement in Tamworth, last week, which he proclaimed “one of the single largest investments in regional mobile infrastructure in Australia’s history”.
“Regional communities rely on a strong mobile network to support their key industries, and to deliver critical services like health care and education,” Mr Lew said.
“Through this investment, Optus will help propel regional businesses into national and international markets by providing network reliability; high speed connectivity; and advanced technologies such as cloud and cyber security services that industries need to thrive and grow.”
One-hundred-and-fourteen of the new sites will be built under under the Federal Government’s Mobile Blackspots Program.