Wagga women are rallying together to demand better phone and internet access in rural areas.
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The Country Women’s Association has made the push for greater connectivity the theme of its current awareness week, revealing 88 per cent of its surveyed members throughout the state stated they did not have access to adequate internet.
Rural customers are paying up to $20 per gigabyte, while download speeds are typically 10 times slower than in major cities, according to the CWA.
“These days so many people rely on phone and internet connectivity for education, medical and business purposes,” CWA Riverina president Anne Adams said.
“We’ve had members saying they struggle with mobile phone reception in places like Mangoplah, Humula and even around Oura. “Some of these places aren’t very far out of Wagga at all.”
Agriculture business student Aimee Snowden, who was awarded with an honourary CWA membership after imparting her agricultural knowledge on local students, has experienced the difference internet connectivity makes to those in rural areas.
“Our property near Tocumwal was connected to the NBN 12 months ago and it has complete changed the way I conduct my university studies,” she said.