Telecommunications accessibility in regional, rural and remote grain growing areas has widespread economic and productivity implications.
Bush telecommunications are a core enabler of national farm productivity. Telecommunications is the glue that holds together workforce, farm safety, commerce, and innovation. Strong regional, rural and remote telecommunications are vital for the farm operation and are equally crucial for the long-term sustainability of agricultural businesses.
Efficient and effective bush telecommunications provide a high productivity multiplier and widespread whole of economy returns, while ensuring grain regions are not left behind in an increasingly digital economy.
GRAINGROWERS SUPPORTS
- Efforts by Government to further facilitate connectivity infrastructure sharing in regional areas to promote competition, efficient asset use and ongoing network expansion.
- Market-led network sharing arrangements that support competitive market outcomes. Where such arrangements do not materialise, consideration should be given to requiring network sharing by Mobile Network Operators on commercial terms in a manner that does not hinder ongoing investment.
- The triennial Regional Telecommunications Review process. This process should be well-resourced and led by an independent review panel which includes agricultural and on-farm connectivity expertise.
- The ongoing funding of the Regional Tech Hub to provide Australians with independent connectivity advice and as a key means to improve connectivity literacy.
- Updated telecommunication service guarantees, considering developments in technology.
GRAINGROWERS RECOGNISES
- That the increasing digitisation of agriculture will require regional, rural and remote regions to be increasingly reliant on telecommunications speed and quality.
- Telecommunications are essential for grain production, for local communities and especially important to facilitate responses to natural disasters.
- First rate telecommunications services allow Australian growers to compete on the global stage, although the large and diverse nature of Australian farming will require different approaches in different contexts.
GRAINGROWERS SEEKS
- The delivery of high-quality phone, data and internet services in grain growing regions that are of comparable quality to that in major Australian cities.
- Reform of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) to take a technology agnostic approach given the pace of change in the delivery of phone and data services on the condition that new services are an improvement and fit-for-purpose.
- That an independent government body and funding pipeline is developed to undertake ongoing surveillance and audit of mobile coverage and performance across regional Australia to highlight areas where improvements are most needed.
- Increased public funding and investment to ensure the delivery of connectivity service expansion and quality improvements in grain growing regions.