THE designation of a Riverland town as a key location for NBN broadband access is set to save local businesses up to 67 per cent on internet costs, according to the national network operator.
NBN Co last week announced Renmark would be included as a Business Fibre Zone, improving the “accessibility and affordability of business-grade fibre” internet inside the township.
NBN Co chief regional development officer Gavin Williams said high-speed internet access had become vital for the operation of many agriculture-based businesses.
“Businesses in all sectors are going through a significant digital transformation,” Mr Williams said.
“Whether that’s agribusinesses, agricultural equipment manufactures or through to professional services… all these business processes are going online.
“Whether it’s collaboration on Teams or Zoom – things we’ve been doing during the pandemic – or file backup and storage, through to business operations in the cloud, all businesses are going through this transformation.”
Mr Williams said the capacity to upload data at the same speed as downloading was crucial to Renmark businesses operating efficiently.
“It’s not just downloading content from the internet, it’s pushing content up as well,” he said.
“What enterprise internet offers is symmetrical speeds, so the same speed into the network as back down.
“That speed can be anywhere from 10 megabits per second, to nearly a gigabit per second.
“It’s tuned for uploading and business-grade service levels… it means businesses in Renmark now have more options that enable them to participate in the global economy.”
Renmark Paringa Council chief executive officer Tony Siviour said the announcement would generate new economic activity for the Riverland.
“The announcement by NBN Co of the township of Renmark being included as a Business Fibre Zone is exceptionally good news for businesses in our town and the ability to attract business to our town,” Mr Siviour said.
“Point-to-point fibre on your own unimpeded network channel at metropolitan prices further adds to the opportunity to attract people to work from a regional local which has an exceptional lifestyle offering.”
Member for Barker, and Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network chair, Tony Pasin said the costs of upgrading internet connections to fibre would be waived for Renmark businesses.
“During this global health crisis, the NBN has proven itself to be a vital national asset,” Mr Pasin said.
“It has supported Australian businesses as they have innovated and adapted to digital operating models to overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
“Businesses within NBN Co’s Business Fibre Zones across the country will have access to CBD zone wholesale prices, driving annual cost savings of between $1200 and $6000 for those based outside capital city centres.
“The Business Fibre Initiative will support business critical applications including cloud storage and online collaboration helping our local businesses stay competitive in the digital age.”
Mr Williams encouraged local business operators to discuss fibre connection upgrades with their service providers.
“Businesses can access the service through their (internet) retailer,” he said.