High speed internet for data and calls will be made available to more than 24,000 homes and business across the western plains as part of the fixed and satellite telecommunications upgrade in regional areas, Parkes MP Mark Coulton announced on Tuesday.
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The federal government has allocated $450 million on the upgrades to improve the connectivity of regional residents served by existing towers with the inclusion of satellites which means more data from WiFi and voice and video calls like Zoom will be easier for people who live in regions.
"It follows the regional connectivity package which is right across the Macquarie plains with more data towers going to be up in partnership with Telcos," Mr Coulton said.
"It is broadening out ways we connect regional Australians because they need more data [to run their] business, for primary source of entertainment and with COVID they're educating their children from home schooling and working from home."
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One example of internet blackspots is the farming district of Armatree where Mr Coulton and Telstra executive Mike Markom met with farmers "struggling to keep up" with insufficient telecommunications services.
"Armatree is a great example of a highly productive farming district that struggled over the last couple of years with the tower that delivers their communications in Gulargambone," Mr Coulton said.
"They've struggled to keep up particularly at times of harvests and in the peak of COVID where families with children were home schooling.
Mr Coulton said the recent funding will allow Telstra to upgrade the tower in Gulargambone while a base tower is being planned for Armatree as part of the long term solution to the district's digital connectivity.
But in the short term, Mr Coulton said they have encouraged the residents to connect with the Regional Tech Hub set up by the government in collaboration with the National Farmers Federation and Australian Communications Consumer Action Network to give "unbiased technology advice so you're not going into a phone shop."
The hub was developed by the Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia, a volunteer organisation that assist people living in regional and remote areas access better telecommunications services.
In major regional centres like Dubbo, Mr Coulton said residents could connect to high speed internet services without cost on installation but it was a different matter for smaller and remote communities in the region.
"This announcement will mean a lot for smaller communities and will encourage them to look at other alternatives particularly those that missed out on the wireless NBN roll out," Mr Coulton said.
The upgrade provides higher speed data in busy times for households and business served by towers.
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