Rural left behind... again!

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).