Wednesday, 12 October 2022 09:55

Rural left behind... again!

Written by  Jessica Marshall
Fed Farmers says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT. Fed Farmers says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT.

Rural internet users are being left behind in the move towards more technologically advanced systems.

Federated Farmers national board member and telecommunications spokesperson Richard McIntyre says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT.

“The level of auditing, etc., that’s required for the likes of meat processors, milk protein, that’s basically all done digitally these days and so we will need to run computer programs that download a track map where fertiliser has been placed onto that program so that we can then use it for reporting,” he told Rural News.

The comments come after the release of the 2022 Federated Farmers Rural Connectivity Survey showed more than half of the farmers surveyed reported internet download speeds at or less than 20 megabytes per second (Mbps).

The survey also found that 32% of those surveyed reported a decline in mobile phone service, a 12% jump on last year’s survey.

McIntyre says that while government funding has been generous, things have moved on from when it was first announced, with the infrastructure itself not designed to cope with its current use.

“Previously there was just some phone calls with a little bit of data for checking your emails… whereas now you have heaps of people streaming Netflix, etc. but using the same towers so they need to be upgraded,” he says.

“We’ve got to make sure that we get a good and reliable standard of quality, both in terms of internet and cellular service."

It’s a sentiment that National Party rural communities spokesperson Nicola Grigg agrees with wholeheartedly.

“There are over 8,000 rural homes and businesses around the country that have yet to receive any improvement to their broadband,” Grigg says.

She says the absence of connectivity has forced those within rural communities to switch to more expensive options or continue on with subpar and unusable services.

“For anyone trying to run a business from their rural home, not only is the lack of connectivity frustrating, it also severely impacts a business’s ability to reach and serve new customers.

“The woeful lack of investment from the Government also poses safety risks for those living rurally, with poor coverage often impacting connections to emergency services.”

Recently the Government marked the building of its 350th tower as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI2) and the Mobile Blackspot Fund (MBF).

More like this

Rain misses Taranaki region

The 'atmospheric river' of rain that swept down the country last week almost completely avoided one of the worst drought-affected regions in the country – coastal Taranaki.

Should've waited

OPINION: The proposed RMA reforms took a while to drop but were well signaled after the election.

Featured

Farmers urged not to be complacent about TB

New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.

Editorial: Making wool great again

OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.

National

Machinery & Products

Farmer-led group buys Novag

While the name and technology remain unchanged and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name, all the assets,…

Buhler name to go

Shareholders at a special meeting have approved a proposed deal that will see Buhler Industries, the publicly traded Versatile and…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Make it 1000%!

OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of…

Own goal

OPINION: The irony of President Trump’s tariff obsession is that the worst damage may be done to his own people.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter