Tara Murray
Connectivity via phone and internet has become even more important than ever as people have turned to working and learning from home, a new report has found.
The Connecting Victoria engagement report pulls together lived experiences about mobile and broadband connectivity collected by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions between July and September.
The research will help the state government identify locations for upgrades and new infrastructure through the Connecting Victoria program in regional Victoria and outer suburban Melbourne.
The report found that many people struggled to work and learn from home due to poor connectivity.
Of the reponses, 24 per cent of people mentioned connectivity challenges with remote work and education.
“Businesses that don’t have high-speed internet told us they are missing out on economic growth opportunities,” the report said.
“They said that poor connectivity infrastructure is limiting their operations, preventing them from performing even basic tasks such as responding to emails, handling electronic transactions, or calling employees and clients. Residents told us that bad connectivity and ongoing outages make it difficult to perform remote work, study online and socialise through the internet.
“This is making residents feel dissatisfied and stressed.”
The report also highlighted that many places were experiencing rapid development and growth, but the infrastructure wasn’t able to cope leading to slow connectivity and ongoing outages.
As part of the research, 13 roundtable discussions were held with almost 300 community members, leaders and advocates attending these sessions.
Melton, which is a growth area and an outer suburb, had one of the highest response rates showing broadband and mobile connectivity challenges.
The research found that 75 per cent of the council responses mentioned that social inclusion said poor connectivity was a contributing factors.
Low digital skills, being unable to keep in touch with family and friends, and impact on learning were some of the key challenges in areas with limited connectivity.
