The government investment will fund four projects that AARNet says will enable it to deliver fibre upgrades and significantly improve connectivity for education and research for several communities in regional Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

AARNet Director Customer Relations, Angus Griffin, says AARNet is proud to be collaborating with the government to improve the quality of connectivity in regional and remote communities.

“Narrowing the digital connectivity divide across Australia is vital for providing equal opportunities to First Nations people and indeed all Australians. AARNet is focused on finding ways to leverage and extend AARNet’s infrastructure to help with this challenge” he said.

Under the funding program, AARNet will provide optical fibre to Batchelor, Northern Territory, connecting key sites providing research and education-related services in the town to the high-speed AARNet network. The sites include the council building, museum, school, community health centre and the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Australia’s only First Nations dual-sector tertiary institution.

“Batchelor Institute will be provided with the same high-quality and reliable AARNet connectivity that supports teaching, learning and research at other Australian universities. This will help close the digital gap and will create opportunities for academics, staff and students to collaborate and innovate in ways that haven’t previously been available to them,” said Griffin.

In addition, AARNet has been awarded funding to deliver fibre broadband and fixed wireless broadband connectivity to the towns of Three Springs, Migenew, Coorow and Carnamah in the Northern Midlands region of Western Australia.

The projects will also connect key premises, including public libraries and public schools, to AARNet services.