Rural and regional Australians are unprepared for the impact a faster internet service will have on their businesses and everyday lives when the National Broadband Network (NBN) is introduced – with many seeming confused about what the changes will mean for them.
These are the findings of a recent survey of 1040 rural and regional Australians conducted by OurPatch, a community web portal. The survey revealed confusion over the NBN with contradictory opinions surfacing about whether any impact will even be noticeable, especially to their businesses.
Almost a third of those surveyed believe the NBN will not impact or improve their business, despite over half believing they will actually receive better service from other businesses.
Director of OurPatch, Simon Van Wyk said, “Regional and rural Australians don’t seem to understand the incredible potential of the NBN. Many business owners don’t believe their customer numbers or orders will increase, which shows a real lack of education about what the NBN can actually lead to.”
The survey showed that while 65 percent of those surveyed believe the NBN will have a significant and positive impact upon everyday life, 61 percent are unwilling to pay for faster internet.
“The NBN will not only impact everyday life, but also bring fantastic opportunities and the potential for increased revenue in business, with faster internet improving productivity and bringing a much wider scope for business services. Yet many Australians are unwilling to pay for it,” said Mr Van Wyk.
Rural and regional Australians were surveyed about the effects of major issues on their town including job availability, quality of life and cost of resources.
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About OurPatch and the survey
OurPatch is network of websites covering most of rural and regional Australia. OurPatch is the civic centre for the internet age with business and community information, local news and events and community engagement. They aim to deliver local news to rural and regional Australia.
The survey of 1040 rural and regional Australians over the age of 18 was carried out in late December 2010, covering all states and territories of Australia and representing all demographics. http://www.ourpatch.com.au/
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