Millions of Australians live deeply digital lives, reliant on access to connectivity for everything from managing finances, to education, healthcare, watching TV and just about everything else in between. In fact, global operators have reported as much as a 60% increase in data traffic over the last two years. If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that the digital future has truly arrived and access to connectivity is now vital to the Australian way of life.
This makes NBN Co’s purpose all that more inspiring: to lift the digital capability of all Australians via a fast and reliable broadband network – a connectivity backbone with the purpose of lifting Australia’s digital capabilities and ensuring that all people have access to fast, reliable, and affordable broadband.
No small feat, particularly in rural Australia with sparsely populated communities are separated by distances the equivalent of entire European countries. Delivering connectivity to these far-flung places is a constant challenge of balancing infrastructure deployment, maintenance, and innovation; a challenge Ericsson and NBN Co are committed to overcoming.
In a partnership spanning over a decade, Ericsson and NBN Co have helped connect Australian homes and businesses to fast, reliable broadband across some of the world’s most vast, unique, and challenging geography in the world to change lives in truly meaningful ways.
Many Australians would fondly remember ‘School of the Air’ which revolutionised how schooling worked in outback Australia. Taking the next giant leap forward for regional families seeking access to education, NBN Co and Ericsson have since worked together to launch Sky Muster™ satellite services. Managed by Ericsson, NBN Co’s Sky MusterTM satellites continue to support the next generation of School of The Air students with access live streamed video classrooms and the latest digital learning materials.
The completion of the initial NBN Co network infrastructure is momentous as it gives all of us the opportunity to not only improve but completely reimagine the future of life and business in rural Australia. Since, NBN Co has announced a further $4.5 billion investment into the network.
$3.5 billion will go towards making NBN Co’s highest wholesale speed tiers even more available as demand arises, delivering close-to-gigabit speeds to up to 75% or 2 million additional Australian homes on the fixed line network by 2023.
Businesses meanwhile will benefit from a $700 million investment in accessible and affordable business grade fibre services which will help to support business innovation, productivity and growth across both urban and regional areas.
Finally, $300 million in co-funded investments in partnerships with local regional councils and state governments will be dedicated to improving broadband services across remote and rural Australia, further helping to close the digital gap.
With these investments, I believe this is truly an exciting time to be in the industry as a greater range of digital goods and services will be made possible across almost every industry and facet of Australian society.
As access to seamless connectivity becomes the norm, the next decade will see the rise of emerging technologies such as AR/VR experiences, cyber-physical healthcare technologies, and smart agriculture. It is my belief that Ericsson’s technology will play a key part to this vision, realising a world where limitless connectivity improves life, redefines business, and pioneers a sustainable future for Australia.
With ubiquitous connectivity, the digital future of rural Australia is one of limitless possibility.
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