The New South Wales government has allocated $100 million to improve Internet services in regional parts of the state, as part of the $400 million Regional Data Connectivity program announced in 2019.
The program covers three areas and focuses on investing in better mobile coverage, provide metro-level Internet and data, and increase connectivity across agribusinesses in regional NSW.
The Gig State project, which covers Internet and data, will deliver new network infrastructure for reliable Internet services. It will kick off in Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Parkes and a corridor west of Cobar. It will also involve rolling out fibre for Sutton, Bywong and Wamboin.
The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) will run a two-stage tender process for the Gig State project, starting with the initial target locations and then being rolled out across more of regional NSW. The aim of the tender is to find “innovative solutions” for regional NSW.
An expression of interest process willl launch in the coming months, followed by a request for tender later in 2020.
Businesses set to benefit from the initiative include Lawlab, a conveyance firm headquartered in Surry Hills, Sydney but with offices across the country including in Nyngan, regional NSW.
“Our business relies on a strong and reliable internet service so that we can communicate with our clients and continue to grow our business nationally and support jobs locally,” Lawlab director Richard Bootle said in a statement.
“We’ve had to look into moving our business offshore due to costs and quality of digital services, and that’s not something we want to do. We want to keep our business and jobs in regional NSW, and this new investment will be the game changer that helps us do that.”
The Regional Digital Connectivity program is part of the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund, dedicated to major and transformative infrastructure projects that will deliver significant economic and social benefits for regional NSW.