Hustle and connectivity bustle in Busselton
Where can you stroll the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, spot oh-so-cute (yet critically endangered) western ringtail possums, and enjoy the benefits of connectivity from one of 85 regional nbn™ Business Fibre Zones?
You’ll find it all – and more – in beautiful Busselton, Western Australia.
Busselton, get connected
Welcome to Busselton
The gateway to the world-famous Margaret River wine region, you’ll find Busselton (Wadandi Country) relaxing on the southwest tip of Australia’s biggest state.
And while it may be a little sleepier than its capital city counterpart, it doesn’t mean Busselton feels any less connected.
Just ask local resident Jacqui Wells.
Moving from the big smoke of Perth to regional Busselton, Jacqui was initially apprehensive about the connectivity awaiting them in their new hometown.
“I work from home a few days and the kids are at that age of starting to need the computer for school and not just games,” says Jacqui.
Two years on and connected to services over the nbn™ network on a 50/20 plan, as it turns out, she needn’t have worried.
“I’m pleased to say we have had no issues and the nbn™ [network] has helped us with a seamless transition into regional life.”*
And when it comes to a change of pace and space, Jacqui and her family are in good company.
According to the nbn™ Flexible Lifestyle Survey, conducted by YouGov, 35 per cent of Australians surveyed are considering relocating to their ideal community after COVID-19 – especially city-dwellers.
Half of those who live in one of the five major capital cities say they’ve wanted to move for a while, and 85 per cent of those surveyed who can work remotely agree that connectivity is now more important than ever to achieve their ideal work approach.
In the (business) zone
It’s not just Busselton residents enjoying the benefits of connectivity – the local businesses are too.
Last year, as part of nbn’s commitment to lifting Australia’s small and medium business capability, Busselton was announced as one of 240 nbn™ Business Fibre Zones across the country.
The zones see business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet pricing reduced – some by up to 67 per cent – giving local businesses in these zones access to the same support as businesses in capital city centres, at the same wholesale price.†
“With so many people moving from Perth into the area, it’s great to see nbn offering solutions like Enterprise Ethernet to help businesses to not only survive but really thrive when they decide to make the move,” says Cameron Edwards, Regional Business Lead at nbn.
“Attracting new businesses and different professions into the area is vital for the longevity of the town, and I am proud that the nbn™ network is key to enabling the change.”
Keith Poole, Managing Director at Computer West, is also seeing the benefits nbn™ connectivity is bringing to Busselton.
Established in 1994, Computer West is a leading provider of business information communications technology (ICT) systems.
“Recent announcements, like the Business Fibre Zones, have really opened up the options for Busselton businesses to take advantage of new technology that most thought they could only really use if they were in Perth,” says Keith, whose business has been connected to services over the nbn™ network for the past eight years.
Connected jetty
To paraphrase that world-renowned Aussie, that’s not a jetty, this is a jetty.
At 1.841km long, Busselton Jetty juts out into the Indian Ocean almost as far as the eye can see.
Connected to services over the nbn™ network, it’s no ordinary jetty.
There’s plenty to see and do at the iconic landmark that was built in 1865 and is today run by volunteer community organisation, Busselton Jetty Inc.
For example, take its Stocker Preston Express electric train to the end of the line to explore one of only six underwater observatories in the world.
Or pop into the iconic blue boatsheds closer to shore to visit the Interpretive Centre, Jetty Museum and gift shop.
Usually attracting 400,000 visitors a year, Busselton Jetty – like so many tourism attractions across Australia and the world – had to think a little differently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Using technology was key to keeping the Busselton Jetty top of mind for people that couldn’t visit during the COVID period,” says Lisa Shreeve, CEO at Busselton Jetty.
“And it will continue to be a big focus as we add more interactive experiences to the Busselton Jetty journey.”
The jetty is set for even more innovative development in the coming years.
“With the exciting announcement of the approval for the Busselton Jetty's Australian Underwater Discovery Centre … our nbn™ network services will be needed as we expect visitors to more than triple when it’s completed in December 2022.”*
Focusing locally for locals
nbn™ Local is focused on strengthening our commitment to regional Australia, and boosting efforts to lift the digital capability of regional and remote areas across the country.
Just some of the ways we’re strengthening our commitment to regional Australia include:
- investing more than $2 billion in improving nbn's infrastructure in regional Australia to help homes and businesses in these areas access higher wholesale broadband speeds and greater network capabilities
- providing localised solutions for a network better suited to regional Australia through our on-the-ground teams working within regional communities
- working with industry groups to enhance what's possible in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism and more
* nbn is very happy with Jacqui, Keith and Lisa’s experiences with the nbn™ network. Of course, experiences may vary. Your experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network depends on the nbn™ access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to your premises, whether you are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside nbn’s control like equipment quality, software, broadband plan, signal reception and how your service provider designs its network. Speeds may also be impacted by the number of concurrent users on the nbn™ Fixed Wireless network, including during busy periods. Satellite end customers may also experience latency.
† nbn is a wholesaler and does not control costs charged by service providers. Customers should contact their preferred service provider to ask about their fees and charges.