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1 February 2005
Faster Internet Service for Nanango and Lowood
From February 18 Nanango residents will have access to faster Internet services and from February 21 Lowood residents will join them, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, announced during a visit to Lowood today.
"The Government is committed to ensuring all Australians, regardless of where they live, have access to high quality, affordable telecommunications services," Senator Coonan said.
"We have already invested more than $1 billion into ensuring services, such as broadband technology and mobile phone coverage, are upgraded and improved - particularly for people living in rural, regional and remote Australia.
"Faster internet service will be available in Nanango and Lowood thanks to this investment, Telstra and the Government's Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS)."
The $107.8 million HiBIS offers financial incentives for service providers to supply high-speed broadband services in regional areas at prices comparable to those in metropolitan areas.
There are now more than 20 HiBIS providers, many of them in rural and regional areas, and tens of thousands of regional Australians are now enjoying more affordable and accessible broadband.
"Before HiBIS, 15o people living in Nanango and 150 people living in Lowood would have had to register their interest for broadband to be provided," Senator Coonan said.
"HiBIS has lowered that broadband demand register threshold to just 70 for Lowood and 70 for Nanango.
"This target is easily met in the Lowood area with 71 expressions of interest already registered. More than 93 people have registered an expression of interest in Nanango for broadband.
"So on February 18 residents of Nanango will be able to access ADSL broadband and on February 21 residents of Lowood will have the same access.
"Access to broadband services is critical to the ongoing productivity and survival of our businesses.
"I am pleased that the many residents living in Lowood will now be able to access faster and more reliable internet services.
"These achievements are not possible without a strong local community and a local member who really stands up for his constituents like Cameron Thompson.
"I congratulate Cameron for lobbying so hard for broadband in his electorate of Blair."
More information on the Government's HiBIS program is available at www.telinfo.gov.au.
Media Contact: Jane McMillan 0438 690 305