Digital connectivity boost for Carnarvon
- High-speed, enterprise grade broadband services now available in Carnarvon Horticulture District
- Cook Government's Digital Farm Grants program helping growers to compete in a 21st century market, supporting local jobs and industry
Carnarvon
growers, businesses and residents are now better connected under the Cook
Government's successful Digital Farm Grants program.
A 63-metre
tower and supporting infrastructure has been built to provide high-speed,
enterprise-grade broadband internet to agribusinesses and communities in the
Carnarvon Horticulture District and surrounding areas.
The State
Government awarded a $600,000 grant to Bunbury-based network company CipherTel
under the second round of the program, with additional funding and in-kind
support from the Shire of Carnarvon, local growers, and businesses.
The service
covers approximately 800 square kilometres across the Shire of Carnarvon,
reaching about 180 agribusinesses and more than 2,900 private dwellings.
The
Carnarvon Horticulture District produces a wide variety of fruit and vegetable
crops, led by tomatoes, capsicum, table grapes, bananas, melons, eggplants and
mangoes, with annual production valued at more than $110 million.
Comments
attributed to Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"The Digital Farm Grants program is helping
connect businesses and communities in regional WA, delivering fast, reliable,
affordable, and scalable broadband where fixed line and fixed wireless NBN
services are not available.
"Carnarvon
has a highly productive irrigated agriculture precinct, which is an important
supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables for consumers in Perth and the regions.
"Through this significant infrastructure project, both local businesses
and residents in the Carnarvon Horticulture District and surrounds can benefit
from a more reliable internet broadband service."
Comments attributed to Member for Mining and Pastoral Peter Foster MLC:
"I thank the Cook Government for rolling out the Digital Farm Grants program to Carnarvon, one of Western Australia's key horticultural production areas.
"This newly built telecommunications infrastructure will see high-speed, enterprise-grade broadband internet reach around 180 agribusinesses and more than 2,900 private dwellings in the region.
"This will allow growers to utilise the 21st century technology needed to remain competitive and grow profitability."