High speed and high-quality broadband services are essential for people and businesses in regional
and remote areas. Their remoteness and long distances required to be travelled physically means
increasingly more importance is placed on interacting virtually – whether for education or health
consultations, keeping in contact with family and friends, shopping and logistics planning ordering
goods and services to be delivered. Farmers and other primary producers make extensive uses of
real-time satellite observations and weather forecasts, as well as accessing markets to buy and sell
produce. The ability to stave off loneliness in remote areas by making frequent high-quality contact
with loved-ones elsewhere can reduce the pressures of loneliness that leads to relatively high
incidences of mental health concerns in regional and remote areas.