Selwyn Times: October 07, 2020

Wednesday October 7 2020 Selwyn Times 31
SELWYN RURAL LIFE
Survey reveals rural
connectivity an issue
While the majority of urban New
Zealanders can get on the information
superhighway at speed, the latest
Federated Farmers connectivity survey
shows too many rural families and
businesses are still stuck in second gear on
a potholed back-road.
“We had nearly 900 responses from
our members from every farm type and
geographical spread but a bitter irony
was that several more couldn’t complete
the on-line questions because they didn’t
have internet access or connectivity was
too patchy or slow,” Federated Farmers
President and telecommunications
spokesperson Andrew Hoggard said.
Around 68% of respondents have
download speeds of 20Mbps or less, and
nearly 24% are enduring download speeds
of just 0-5Mbps.
“While around a third is on unlimited
download monthly plans, many of those
on capped plans complain they’d like to
go unlimited but their ISP – often their
only choice of ISP – doesn’t provide that
option.
“It’s interesting that a number of
respondents told us that during the level
4 COVID-19 lockdown some providers
extended unlimited downloads to them.
This would seem to indicate it’s not
technical issues getting in the way of
offering unlimited plans to these rural
clients,” Andrew said.
Mobile coverage remains a concern,
with around one in three farms surveyed
indicating only up to 50% of their farm
gets a connection. Not far short of a
quarter get 25% of farm coverage or less.
“And yet 92% of these farmers had a
smartphone, and around 75% told us they
use smartphone apps to support the farm
business,” Andrew said.
While in many of the connectivity
measures there have been improvements
since the Feds’ 2019 survey, it’s usually
only by a percent or two.
“The task ahead is less one of pushing
broadband into ever more isolated
and remote locations and more one of
addressing the gaps in coverage and
constraints on capacity of earlier builds.
More targeted investment towards
bespoke builds would go a long way
towards addressing connection speed and
reliability concerns,” Andrew said.
“Competition is a concern with many
members finding they only have the one
provider and have to take it or leave it as
regards price and quality of service.”
Many of the new technologies employed
on farms, whether cloud software
or smartphone applications, require
connectivity to realise and maximise the
benefits of their use to the farm business.
Farmers are also increasingly expected
to engage electronically with business
services and government agencies, such
as banks, IRD and local councils. And,
just like urban families, the farm owner’s
home and the on-farm staff houses have
partners and children trying to get on-line
to look up information, do homework and
engage in social media.
Source: Federated Farmers of New
Zealand
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