Broadband technology a boost for the Wimmera

Published on 17 October 2018

Horsham Rural City Council has welcomed the Victorian Government’s $1.7 million funding for enhanced high-speed broadband for Wimmera businesses.

Minister for Regional Development Jaala Pulford on Wednesday announced a partnership with Spirit Telecom that will give Horsham businesses access to the latest wireless infrastructure that will deliver symmetrical gigabit broadband.

The technology is designed to put Horsham’s broadband technology on par with Melbourne and other major metropolitan centres in Australia.

Under the plan, the fixed-wireless service will cover all of Horsham including the Horsham CBD, Horsham enterprise park, aerodrome and freight terminal with speeds up to one gigabit per second in both directions.

Chief Executive Officer Sunil Bhalla welcomed the opportunity for Horsham to be offered the pilot technology.

“The great thing is that it will mean better access for our existing businesses and agriculture. It will allow high-quality video conferencing and other emerging high bandwidth applications, making it easier to work remotely,” Mr Bhalla said.

“It also means Horsham will become even more attractive for businesses looking to relocate or start up in regional centres.

“Residents can also choose to sign up to the new plans, and they will enjoy internet speeds that bridge the digital divide between metro and regional areas,” he said.

Spirit Telecom says it will offer the service to businesses at prices significantly lower than currently available for business-grade broadband services in regional Victoria. These prices will be competitive with the best available in metropolitan Melbourne.

Horsham families will also benefit from the availability of faster speeds with residential plans likely to present much better value for money than current offers.

Spirit Telecom will build and maintain the network, which is being delivered as part of the State Government’s Connecting Regional Communities Program.

Project construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2019 but the first services, available in limited areas, could be offered as soon as mid next year.