Digital connectivity in the Mid West has taken a leap forward today, with Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan switching on the latest telecommunications tower as part of a new wireless network delivered by the State Government's Digital Farm program.
High speed broadband services are now being provided to the Shires' of Irwin, Mingenew, Three Springs and Chapman Valley, with further services to be rolled out across the Shires' of Coorow, Carnamah, Morawa, Perenjori, Northampton and parts of the City of Greater Geraldton over the next few months.
The new networks are being installed by Geraldton based telecommunications company LogicIT Solutions using local labour and expertise, with financial and in-kind support from local shires and grower groups.
Broadband services are available to farmers through retail service Node1 Internet.
The State Government has invested $1 million in the Mid West networks through Digital Farm program, which attracted a further $1.5 million of financial and in-kind contributions from LogicIT, local shires and grower groups.
Minister MacTiernan today switched on a new fixed wireless tower at Eneabba, one of 29 towers making up the network across the Chapman Valley and North Midlands.
Twelve wireless towers are now active in the region, and LogicIT has upgraded the Mount Fairfax transmission tower near Geraldton with an 8.8 kilometre optic fibre backhaul link, to provide a base station for the Mid West networks.
The $5 million Digital Farm Grants program is helping to bridge the digital divide across regional Western Australia, delivering fast, reliable, affordable and scalable broadband services to areas outside the National Broadband Network's (NBN) fixed line and fixed wireless footprint.
Full media statement: High-speed broadband switching on in the Mid West