The Nationals in Government are continuing to ensure there is significant investment in communication capabilities for businesses in rural and regional Australia, following an announcement which will see high speed broadband in towns around the country.
The Federal Government has revealed businesses in towns including Batemans Bay, Newcastle and Ballina will now be able to order the high-speed fibre broadband, as NBN Co rolls out new Business Fibre Zones to help boost economic growth and productivity.
NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey said NBN Co’s Business Fibre Initiative is part of a $700 million package to transform the accessibility and affordability of business-grade fibre.
“This investment will not only create thousands of jobs but also help businesses boost their digital capabilities,” Senator Davey said.
“Around 6,000 jobs will be created by 2021-22 due to the construction of the Business Fibre Zones, those jobs will include engineers, project managers and construction crew.
“The Business Fibre Zones will help local businesses with cloud storage and online collaboration, which will help them stay competitive in the digital age.
“This is a fantastic announcement for regional Australia because 85 of the Business Fibre Zones will be located in regional centres.
“The Business Fibre Zones across the country will be able to access CBD zone wholesale prices, which will see annual cost savings of between $1,200 and $6,000 for those based outside capital city centres.
“The Nationals will continue to back significant investment into Australia’s small and medium regional businesses, which will be critical to our economic recovery from COVID-19.”