You still have time to tune in to grants for regional and rural connectivity. Photo: File.
A federal grants program designed to improve connectivity in regional, remote and First Nations communities has been extended until 11 August.
The Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) and Regional Connectivity Program (RCP) grants are designed to deliver new handheld coverage to regional, rural and First Nations Australia, and to provide place-based solutions for new or upgraded broadband services and/or upgraded mobile services respectively.
Up to $50 million has been allocated to the MBSP, while the RCP has been allocated $110 million. The grant opportunities are administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Of the $160 million total, $32.5 million has been earmarked for First Nations communications.
The grants are open to telecommunications providers, state governments and councils. The extension will allow applicants additional time to review the standard funding agreements available on the Commonwealth’s GrantConnect portal.
Infrastructure funded under the Regional Connectivity stream must provide retail mobile or broadband services to a regional, rural or First Nations community for an operational period of seven years. Infrastructure funded under the Mobile Black Spot stream must deliver new handheld coverage to regional, rural and First Nations communities for an operational period of 10 years.
A 30 June release says applicants, mobile network operators, communities, councils, Members of Parliament and other interested parties are encouraged to work together during the extended application development period to develop multi-carrier mobile solutions. It says this will ensure communities receive the maximum benefit from public funding of new infrastructure.
The programs are part of the Federal Government’s Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia which aims to provide more than $1.1 billion to rural and regional communities, including $656 million to improve mobile and broadband connectivity and resilience in rural and regional Australia.
“The Albanese Government’s $160 million combined Mobile Black Spot and Regional Connectivity grants is a key demonstration of our commitment to improving communications outside our major cities, and by extending the closing date to 11 August 2023, we are ensuring that commitment is delivered most effectively through stronger applications,” Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said in the release.
“We are committed to narrowing the digital divide and keeping communities connected, including for First Nations Australians, business operators, families keeping in touch with loved ones, and helping communities stay connected during emergencies.
“I look forward to announcing the outcome of this application process in coming months and encourage the telecommunications industry to work together with communities across Australia to deliver a great application.”
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