$750m investment to deliver 5G fixed wireless to regional Australia
Internet speeds are set to get a lot faster in regional and rural Australia with $480 million being invested in to the nbn Fixed Wireless network by the Australian Government, with and additional $270 million being provided by nbn.
This investment, announced 22 March, 2022, follows the $4.5 billion dollar network investment announced by nbn in September 2020 in response to the 2021 Regional Telecommunications Review. Recommendations included enhancements to the fixed wireless and satellite services to meet an increase in demand in rural and regional areas.
The funding will enable a 5G network spanning 2,200 fixed wireless infrastructure sites and more than 22,000 cells in semi-rural, regional and remote areas. The enhanced system should deliver wholesale speeds of 500Mbps to almost 1 Gbps on demand.
For households across regional Australia, faster speeds2 will make it easier to work remotely, access digital services as well as connect with loved ones and access entertainment. For businesses, faster speeds1 will enhance and expand participation in the global digital economy and benefit from innovative technology such as the Internet of Things and smart farming.
Gavin Williams, nbn Chief Development Officer for Regional and Remote
It is anticipated that this investment will support the regional Australian economy with an additional $6.1 billion in regional Gross Domestic Product over 2022 to 2026 financial years.