Digital Connectivity

Mobile phones don’t always work when you live and travel in the Bush. Our internet connections drop out from time to time, and we often find ourselves working through the night because that’s when reception is at it’s best, almost as if it has a mind of its own.

Digital connectivity remainis a real issue in regional NSW, something that was never more evident than during the pandemic.

Founder and CEO of Buy From The Bush, Grace Brennan gave an anecdotal account at the Bush Summit last Friday of what she deals with on a regular basis.

“Every single meeting is interrupted,” Ms Brennan said.

“I was participating in a panel - it got to my turn and the internet dropped out.

“It’s a tangible example of how it stops us from participating.

“It’s such a barrier to business.”

Gladys Bjerijiklien, Managing Director of Enterprises and Business for Optus said she felt enormous progress had been made over the past three years, but stated that competition made people in the industry work harder to get the necessary connectivity to people.

Ms Brennan said that what was improving was a sense of how important connectivity is to those of us living in the bush.

“In my lived experience, there’s no difference,” she said.

“It was bad three years ago, it’s still bad.”

The truth is that the majority of job opportunities in the future require digital skills, which means that our young people are going to need connectivity they can rely on.

Ms Berejiklian said it was all about attitude.

“It’s time for rubber hitting the road,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“It’s about putting our money where our mouths are.

“Where you live shouldn’t deter you from achieving quality of life.”

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