Wednesday, 12 October 2022 09:55

Rural left behind... again!

Written by  Jessica Marshall
Fed Farmers says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT. Fed Farmers says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT.

Rural internet users are being left behind in the move towards more technologically advanced systems.

Federated Farmers national board member and telecommunications spokesperson Richard McIntyre says good internet is becoming increasingly necessary for compliance tools like farm plans and NAIT.

“The level of auditing, etc., that’s required for the likes of meat processors, milk protein, that’s basically all done digitally these days and so we will need to run computer programs that download a track map where fertiliser has been placed onto that program so that we can then use it for reporting,” he told Rural News.

The comments come after the release of the 2022 Federated Farmers Rural Connectivity Survey showed more than half of the farmers surveyed reported internet download speeds at or less than 20 megabytes per second (Mbps).

The survey also found that 32% of those surveyed reported a decline in mobile phone service, a 12% jump on last year’s survey.

McIntyre says that while government funding has been generous, things have moved on from when it was first announced, with the infrastructure itself not designed to cope with its current use.

“Previously there was just some phone calls with a little bit of data for checking your emails… whereas now you have heaps of people streaming Netflix, etc. but using the same towers so they need to be upgraded,” he says.

“We’ve got to make sure that we get a good and reliable standard of quality, both in terms of internet and cellular service."

It’s a sentiment that National Party rural communities spokesperson Nicola Grigg agrees with wholeheartedly.

“There are over 8,000 rural homes and businesses around the country that have yet to receive any improvement to their broadband,” Grigg says.

She says the absence of connectivity has forced those within rural communities to switch to more expensive options or continue on with subpar and unusable services.

“For anyone trying to run a business from their rural home, not only is the lack of connectivity frustrating, it also severely impacts a business’s ability to reach and serve new customers.

“The woeful lack of investment from the Government also poses safety risks for those living rurally, with poor coverage often impacting connections to emergency services.”

Recently the Government marked the building of its 350th tower as part of the Rural Broadband Initiative 2 (RBI2) and the Mobile Blackspot Fund (MBF).

More like this

Bye bye Paris?

OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

What's going on?

OPINION: On the 2nd of May, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced that the 'government remains on track to ban full farm-to-forestry conversion'.

Featured

NZEI unhappy with funding cut for teachers

Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.

EU regulations unfairly threaten $200m exports

A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.

Bionic Plus back on vet clinic shelves

A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.

National

Machinery & Products

New Holland combines crack 50 years

New Holland is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction its Twin Rotor threshing and separation technology, which has evolved…

Iconic TPW Woolpress turns 50!

The company behind the iconic TPW Woolpress, which fundamentally changed the way wool is baled in Australia and New Zealand,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Double standards

OPINION: Imagine if the Hound had called the Minister of Finance the 'c-word' and accused her of "girl math".

Debt monster

OPINION: It's good news that Finance Minister Nicola Willis has slashed $1.1 billion from new spending, citing "a seismic global…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter