Digital infrastructure development boost

Connectivity improvement initiatives for regional and remote communities.

The Queensland Government has committed $28.399 million to 57 initiatives to improve mobile phone and internet connectivity and telecommunications and broadband infrastructure resilience in some of Queensland’s most digitally excluded communities to help close the digital divide.

The Queensland Government commitment is a co-contribution to a funding pool which was secured with the Australian Government against the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Remote Australia.

The plan covers:

• Regional Connectivity Program Round 3
• Mobile Blackspot Program Round 7
• Telecommunications Disaster Resiliency Infrastructure Program
• Mobile Network Hardening Program Round 2
• Peri-Urban Mobile Program Round 2

Also, the Queensland Government directly committed funding in collaboration with NBN Co for the Regional Connectivity Infrastructure Fund.

This funding builds on the Queensland Government’s contribution of $10.904 million to 15 projects under the Regional Connectivity Program Round 2.

The $28.399 million in funding is providing:

• broadband improvements in far northwest Queensland, some islands of the Torres Strait Palm Island, Yarrabah, Injune and Beechmont
• community Wi-Fi establishment at Horn Island, Mornington Island and Wujal Wujal/Degarra
• mobile voice and data improvements in Hopevale, Yarrabah South, Eden’s Crossing, Ripley Central, Yarrabilba North, Highfields Cawdow, Pallarenda, Beaudesert North
• mobile blackspot improvements to Aramac, Kynuna, McKinlay, Muttaburra, Stamford, Tambo, Winton and 3 segments of the Landsborough Highway between Winton and Kynuna.
• mobile telecommunication infrastructure and broadband infrastructure resilience improvements in Cherbourg, Eton, Mourilyan Harbour, Bloomfield, central and western Queensland