Regional communities will benefit from improved connectivity, Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC) has claimed, following the announcement that 81 telecommunications infrastructure projects will share in more than AUD90 million (USD69.6 million) in funding under the ‘Regional Connectivity Program’ (‘RCP’).
According to the Australian government, it has taken a collaborative approach in delivering the RCP and has engaged with the telecommunications industry and regional communities ‘to make sure that the funded projects are tailored to the needs of each region and are supported by the community’. Investment will reportedly provide targeted uplifts to connectivity in the regional areas which need it the most, ensuring that more Australians can access high speed, reliable broadband and mobile services. Grants have been allocated on a competitive basis across three funding categories, with the total cost of successful projects ranging from AUD80,500 for targeted mobile capacity upgrades in small towns to AUD8.75 million for the deployment of large-scale fixed-wireless broadband networks across entire regions.