By Dominique Tassell
The Federal Government has announced Business Fibre Zones in Warwick, Dalby, and Goondiwindi in attempts to improve local NBN.
This comes as Stanthorpe in particular has faced difficulties with the NBN roll out.
A long list of Stanthorpe businesses have been affected by their landlines not working after the copper line in the area was switched over to NBN.
Some of the businesses have reported that their phones are now working, though it is unclear how many are still going without.
It is unclear if the Business Fibre Zone in Warwick will have an impact on Stanthorpe’s NBN.
Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said the new zones will help to unlock new opportunities for business growth in regional communities.
In his statement, it was stated that 2387 businesses in the Maranoa electorate will reportedly benefit with cheaper and faster broadband from the new Business Fibre Zones.
“This is great news for Maranoa and I’m pleased to see NBN Co investing in our region’s potential with these new zones in Dalby, Warwick and Goondiwindi.“
“The zones will allow local businesses to access fibre with speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second, enabling a range of new business opportunities that previously weren’t possible.
“This has the potential to revitalise and reshape our region, from the services locals are able to access, to industries like agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism which are all major local employers in their own right.
“Access to high speed internet will allow local businesses to grow and thrive, break into new markets, and secure our long-term growth potential.
“With no upfront build costs and discounts of up to 47 per cent on NBN Co’s current wholesale plans, I am keen to see local businesses take advantage of these zones.
“Improving access to high speed, reliable, and high quality broadband in regional areas is a key part of the Australian Government’s communications plan, which is why we are investing directly in Maranoa.
“This is about levelling the playing field for our regional businesses, who will now have the same connectivity as their city counterparts.”
The zones in Warwick, Dalby, and Goondiwindi are part of 44 new zones announced that Coalition says “will help thousands of businesses participate in the digital economy on an equal footing“.
This announcement builds on an existing Business Fibre Zone in Roma, established in October last year.
For more information about the NBN Business Fibre Zones initiative, including the new pricing options, visit www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/about-nbn-co/corporate-plan/business-fibre-initiative.
