Failure to connect
Author: Colin Holt
Published on: 09-December-2009
The sheer size of the land, and remoteness of the towns across WA makes telecommunications critical. However it would be assumed with the new broadband network that rural communities can now access the greater possibilities of the internet.
Under the current plans communities of less than 1000 people will have connections speed 7 times slower than their urban counterparts, jeopardizing hopes of improvement in areas that rely upon communication to overcome distance. As an election promise by Kevin Rudd it was meant to provide some equality to areas blighted by patchy dial-up connections.
A local doctor in Borden, who provides a service that few could cope with otherwise, is unable to gain mobile phone coverage and whenever he needs to use the internet has to cope with being unable to run both internet and phone service at the same time on dial-up. This outlines the need for high quality telecommunications regardless of community size and stresses the added importance of communication to small, regional communities, something that I expressed to be of critical importance to Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy in a recent letter.
With the fire season now upon us it is a matter of absolute urgency for the region to provide an effective mobile phone network in the Balingup area. This would provide a lifeline in emergencies as well as improve day to day business. The fires in Bridgetown and Balingup burnt over 10,000 hectares, and demonstrated just how critical effective mobile phone coverage is for the community and emergency services.
The Balingup community have been pushing hard on this issue for a number of years and I want to support them in their efforts. I have raised the issue with the Minister for Regional Development, Brendon Grylls, requesting Royalties for Regions money be allocated to this cause. By providing an improved network for the whole of the South West to ensure communication black spots are eliminated and peoples lives not put at risk because of poor mobile phone coverage in the face of severe bushfires.
