Gig State to deliver broadband boost for the regions

Wagga Wagga has been included in a $100 million NSW Government program to improve digital connectivity in regional NSW.

The Gig State project will deliver new network infrastructure that will boost internet capacity and bring faster and more reliable internet services to central business areas in regional NSW, benefitting local businesses and communities.

Gig State will be delivered under the $400 million Regional Digital Connectivity program, announced in 2019 to address the digital divide between metropolitan and regional NSW, and is looking for innovative solutions from market suppliers that will improve the price, quality of service and choice for regional NSW.

Dubbo, Parkes and a corridor west to Cobar, as well as a fibre solution for residents in Sutton, Bywong and Wamboin, are also included.

With technology now part of everyday life, Gig State will help boost business opportunities and overcome some of the connectivity challenges the regions face.

One of Australia’s largest national conveyancing businesses, lawlab, based in Nyngan, is often held back by poor connectivity that is common in regional areas.

“Our business relies on a strong and reliable internet service so that we can communicate with our clients and continue to grow our business nationally and support jobs locally,” said lawlab Director, Richard Bootle.

“We’ve had to look into moving our business offshore due to costs and quality of digital services, and that’s not something we want to do. We want to keep our business and jobs in regional NSW, and this new investment will be the game changer that helps us do that.”

This level of investment into digital connectivity is a new area for the NSW Government, and is just the beginning to ensure regional NSW gets the services they deserve.

The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) will run a two-stage tender process for the Gig State project, starting with the initial target locations and then ideally being rolled out across more of regional NSW.

The tender process will start with an ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI) launching in the coming months, followed by a ‘Request for Tender’ (RFT) later this year.

Telecommunications providers interested in pitching to deliver Gig State are encouraged to register their details online so they can be notified when the EOI opens for submissions at: www.nsw.gov.au/gigstate.

The Gig State project and Regional Digital Connectivity program are part of the $4.2 billion Snowy Hydro Legacy Fund, dedicated to major and transformative infrastructure projects that will deliver significant economic and social benefits for regional NSW.

For more information on the Regional Digital Connectivity program, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/connectregionalnsw