Susanna Freymark
Connectivity is a buzz word.
And it matters more when you don’t have it as was seen when Bonalbo lost mobile phone signal for eight days last month.
The National Farmers Federation carried out a survey of more than 500 regional Australians and found a significant number of respondents said the reliability of mobile network coverage (50%), internet coverage (40%), and landline service (20%) had declined in the past year.
The Regional, Rural and Remote Communications organisation held a virtual conference harnessing the very technology that is the subject of their advocacy.
Members dialled in from across the country to speak to the connectivity needs of regional, rural and remote Australians, focusing on reliability, literacy and encouraging new connectivity solutions.
NFF chief executive Tony Mahar said with the 2021 Independent Regional Telecommunications Review consultation closing, it was important to keep connectivity at the front of politicians’ minds.
But are they listening?
The RRRC will be calling for telecommunications to be determined an essential service and ensure adequate competition to improve access, reliability and importantly, customer experience.
Telecommunications in the bush must improve.
Write to your MP.
Eight days without mobile signal is more than a nuisance- it can be a matter of life or death
and then