Note: This is a guest post written by Paige
Anticipation is high with the arrival of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and perhaps no one is more excited about its debut than businesses in regional Australia. People like Broadband Champion Darren Alexander have become public advocates for the great opportunities that the NBN and broadband connectivity will bring for rural businesses and are promoting the efforts through The Well Connected Farmer series.
A study conducted by the Allen Consulting Group suggests that just a 10% increase in regional connectivity could boost output by rural businesses by 0.53%. There are a number of ways that better connectivity will help farmers and agricultural businesses thrive:
- Communities
Social networking has transformed the way we engage and interact in both our personal and professional lives. Certainly for primary producers, remoteness is very much a part of the lifestyle but the NBN has the potential to bring these communities together so farmers can share tips and advice as well as stay in touch with critical operational persons such as service providers and merchants. - Software and applications
New technology is always welcomed and with faster broadband speeds, farmers will gain access to the latest innovations in software and applications, such as weed control apps, chemical label readers and GPS devices. - Access to care and education
The NBN gives rural communities a great opportunity to access facilities and information to improve care and education services. This includes critical lifesaving technology and services like telehealth consultations for patients in remote locations. - Smarter work flows
Better connectivity means better automation and more efficient work flows. Businesses and operations can be set on timers and sensors to automatically monitor, report on and execute specific tasks. In this way, rural businesses will be able to expand and streamline their activities.
And of course, better connectivity through the NBN will have important implications to our personal lives as well with more access to multimedia and entertainment. And with the widespread availability of prepaid mobile broadband, you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of a digitally connected world no matter where you go.
The NBN is rolling out to new communities every month and you can stay informed via the website. When will the NBN be coming to your area and how will you use it?
Note: This guest post was written by Paige. Paige writes in Sydney on all things internet and technology including mobile broadband plans.
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