Staying connected in crisis

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee conducting the Regional Telecommunications Review. The Review is an opportunity for people living and working in regional, rural and remote Australia to share their views and experiences using telecommunications services. The NFF’s submission highlights stories from three farmers – Daniel Keam, Wendy Hick and John Shaw – to illustrate the complex and compounding connectivity challenges facing Australian farmers and their families living in regional, rural and remote areas.  

Interviewee: Wendy Hick, QLD I AgForce Telecommunications Committee Chair

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Wendy Hick can vividly recall the moment when connectivity was more than just a convenience – it was a lifeline.  

“We were dealing with a severe flood, and communication was crucial to warn our neighbors downstream. It’s very worrying when you can’t get any messages out to let people know what’s going on or even to let them know you’re okay.” 

Living on a cattle station in remote Queensland, reliable connectivity is essential for business operations, safety, and keeping in touch with family, friends and community. However, this lifeline is often threatened by aging infrastructure, frequent outages and natural disasters. Through her advocacy and unwavering determination, Wendy highlights the urgent need for robust and resilient connectivity solutions in rural Australia. 

The importance of connectivity in rural areas 

For Wendy, and her husband Lloyd, connectivity is a constant necessity.  

“We’re a family-owned and managed beef grazing property. Our home base is Thorntonia Station, northwest Queensland, close to the Queensland/Territory border,” she explains.  

The nearest outback town, Camooweal, is over 100 kilometres away, and the vast distances between neighbors and services amplify the need for reliable communication.  

“There are days when I’m managing cattle, coordinating with suppliers, and checking in with my staff—all through my phone. Without reliable connectivity, everything grinds to a halt. 

“We all depend on it for safety concerns, but especially if you employ staff or run a business out here. You need communications – not only for the social side of it – but to do the banking, for you to pay wages, for you to communicate with staff.”   

Historically, Wendy and others in remote areas relied on HF radios and Flying Doctor radios, systems that were often limited by the region’s challenging topography. Today, the landscape has evolved significantly with the introduction of satellite internet and mobile networks, yet the importance of reliable connectivity remains critical. 

“I think you’ll find that particularly out in more rural and remote areas, people go to great lengths to try to have enough variance in their communications. They are spending a lot of their own funding to try to ensure to have the best services they can have available so that if the need arises, they have got some way of still communicating.  

“Staying connected is important. People feel isolated by where they live anyway, and that fear, the safety factor, really compounds that. They’d like to know they can get onto somebody if they need help.”   

Challenges faced 

Despite advancements, Wendy’s connectivity is far from flawless. Aging infrastructure, such as the high-capacity radio concentrator (HCRC) phone systems, often fail, leaving communities vulnerable.  

“There’s not many of these towers left in Australia. They do go out. Glitches can knock them out. They’re very old technology and hard to maintain,” Wendy notes.  

The reliance on satellite internet, while generally effective, also has its limitations, particularly during adverse weather conditions.  

“If the power goes out, we lose those services. And it takes a while to get things fixed out here.  

“The good thing is we have options at the moment. If the land line is down, but our satellite technologies are up, we can do wifi calling.  You can’t rely solely on one type of service.” 

This reliance on multiple communication methods underscores the need for redundancy in rural connectivity. Wendy’s experience during the 2023 Gulf of Carpentaria flooding illustrates this point.  

“We were very reliant on the Sky Muster service,” Wendy recalls, detailing how she used satellite internet to warn downstream communities about the impending floodwaters. Yet, when the landline was submerged and the internet equipment went underwater, the fragility of their connectivity became starkly evident. 

“Living out here, you learn to be self-sufficient. But even the most self-sufficient need a reliable means of communication, especially when you’re dealing with the unpredictable nature of the land and weather.” 

Impact of natural disasters 

Natural disasters, such as the severe flooding in March 2023, test the limits of rural connectivity. Wendy’s station experienced over 500 millimeters of rain within 36 hours, inundating buildings and cutting off essential services.  

Despite these conditions, Wendy’s satellite internet service, Sky Muster, proved surprisingly resilient, allowing her to maintain communication and coordinate safety measures.  

“Even in the torrential rain, we found that for the most part, it blipped out a couple of times but not much,” she explains.  

However, the loss of the landline once the cable washed away highlighted the vulnerability of their communication infrastructure. 

“I fully expected us to lose all connectivity. I’ve been in a situation here on the station once before. Our main concern was to let people know what was happening so they were aware and could prepare.  

“We knew we’d be dealing with a lot of water but that lack of communications is a worry because you’ve always got to expect the unexpected and it’s hard to let others know what’s going on if you’ve got no connectivity.  

“There are some properties and a community north of up here that do rely on that mobile tower for voice service, and this tower was out during the flooding. It was extremely frustrating and terrifying for them, particularly if there’s families of people who haven’t evacuated.” 

Universal services and advocacy

Wendy is a staunch advocate for the value of universal service arrangements to ensure connectivity in regional, remote and rural areas.  

“There needs to be some form of universal service, whether it’s USO [Universal Service Obligation] or USG [Universal Service Guarantee], for people in rural and remote areas,” she insists.  

The universal services framework guarantees that all Australians have access to essential communication services, a promise that Wendy believes is crucial for the sustainability of rural communities. 

“I think it’s critical that some type of universal service remains. What that service looks like into the future is what the discussions are right now. It possibly may take a new form but I think it’s important to remember that it really needs to exist for people out here. The competition isn’t healthy enough, or large enough, at this stage to reply solely on competition to keep services running for people out in the bush.” 

Wendy also stresses the importance of rigorous testing of new technologies before they are rolled out.  

“There really needs to be due diligence, particularly even after projects have rolled out. There needs to be significant wide-ranging trialing of whatever a new type of product is, especially if it’s going to be taking over a large portion of a type of service,” she argues.  

Her advocacy extends to ensuring that rural voices are heard in governmental and industry discussions about connectivity as AgForce Telecommunications Committee Chair. 

Troubleshooting connectivity issues

Wendy hopes for a future where connectivity is both reliable and straightforward. She envisions a day when rural Australians don’t need to be experts in telecommunications just to stay connected.  

“People should be able to have whatever device they want. They shouldn’t need to know if they’re on 3G, 4G or what type of antenna they have.  

“When people come from other areas, who haven’t grown up in these districts and with these types of services, it’s very confronting and very worrying for them.” 

Over the years, Wendy has become an quite proficient in troubleshooting connectivity issues.  

“You have to know your systems inside and out. There’s no tech support team that can just pop by when you’re out here. You’re the tech support.” 

This necessity has led to a deep understanding of the technology that keeps their communication lines open. Yet, the transition away from 3G has been fraught with challenges.  

“I’ve had to learn how to fix things on the fly. From setting up repeaters to understanding signal strengths; it’s a steep learning curve but absolutely essential. 

“Sometimes, it feels like I have to be an IT expert on top of everything else. I’ve spent countless hours troubleshooting connectivity issues because there’s no one else to do it. 

“But that shouldn’t be the norm.” 

The goal is to make connectivity as seamless and dependable as it is in urban areas, ensuring that rural communities can thrive. Wendy says support initiatives like the Regional Tech Hub have been a game-changer. 

 “At least we now have a dedicated independent service where people can contact someone for tech help. And quite often one of the first things you’re asked is, ‘What type of service do you have?’. They often have no idea, but they can take a picture of it and send it to someone, and someone can tell them.” 

The Regional Tech Hub provides a lifeline for those in remote areas who struggle with connectivity issues. It offers guidance and troubleshooting support, which is invaluable in regions where tech assistance is not readily available.  

“There’s still a long way to go before people can actually just work and live out in rural and remote Australia without knowing something about their connectivity. But having a service like the Regional Tech Hub is a significant step forward.” 

A vision for the future: reliable connectivity for all

Wendy’s experiences on Thorntonia Station highlight the vital importance of reliable connectivity for rural Australians. Her advocacy for universal services and rigorous testing of new technologies underscores the ongoing challenges and opportunities in ensuring that all Australians, regardless of location, have access to essential communication services.  

Looking ahead, Wendy is cautiously optimistic about the promises of improved connectivity. New technologies and networks could revolutionise life on the station, making operations more efficient and providing greater security during emergencies. However, there’s a lingering skepticism.  

“We need to see these improvements, not just hear about them. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it.” 

“The idea of faster, more reliable internet and mobile services is fantastic, but we need to see these improvements materialise. Empty promises won’t help us when we’re in a crisis.” 

The broader implications for rural communities are significant. Enhanced connectivity could mean better access to healthcare, education, and social interaction, fundamentally transforming the quality of life in remote areas.  

“Improved connectivity would mean kids could access better educational resources, and we could get medical advice without the long trips to town. 

“Staying connected is staying safe. And that’s something we can’t afford to compromise on.”