Digital connectivity boost for the Ord

Two adjacent networks will be deployed to cover more than 40 farm businesses over nearly 1700 square kilometres in the East Kimberley, as part of the Digital Farm initiative to bridge the ‘digital divide’ in regional Western Australia.

The grants, totalling $1 million in matching funding, have been allocated to extend broadband access to areas that are not adequately serviced by the NBN fixed wireless and fixed line footprint.

The new network will provide a fast, reliable, digital service to agricultural businesses in Kununurra, the industrial area, and the southern and central parts of the Ord River farmland.

These are the final projects from the first round of Digital Farm Grants, worth a total of

$5m, providing access to affordable, scalable broadband to more than 1240 enterprises across 41,000 square kilometres of the Kimberley, Mid West, Wheatbelt, Peel, South West and Great Southern regions.

“This new digital network will help to drive agricultural productivity and expansion in the Ord, and will provide existing growers with a competitive edge in a global market,” said Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan.

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“This grant will initially provide coverage to around 40 businesses along the Ord - including large-scale, high-intensity horticultural properties - and we expect uptake will increase as the Ord continues to grow.

“Modern businesses - no matter where they are located - require a high-quality broadband service to be able to operate in an increasingly competitive global environment.

“This program has responded to a dire need for digital connection in the regions and successfully attracted commercial investment to deliver broadband services to businesses and residents throughout our State.

“Regional businesses and residents will get to enjoy the benefits of a fast and reliable broadband service as the telecommunications infrastructure is installed.”