I rely on the internet a lot. I use it to help manage my life, my business and as a personal education and enrichment tool. Some critics will say that you can’t go “off grid” and keep the internet. The internet is part of the grid, they argue. Well, I disagree.
Sure, by definition, it may be part of the grid. But so what? Should we stop using roads too? I think the benefits of the internet – for the most part – outweigh the negatives.
The internet will allow me to go off grid. Why? Because it will allow me to continue to run my business. I use the internet to receive payments, pay my staff, research, buy supplies, market and advert, manage my social media, and, of course, to speak with my customers. It’s vital for my business.
It’s for this reason I am an advocate for the NBN. Here in the city the NBN doesn’t mean much. Hey, it will give people with already pretty fast broadband the option of very very fast broadband. But in the country it will give many people there first taste of proper broadband. The commercial, educational, health and recreational – we all have the right to a little YouTube, I say – benefits in rural Australia are immense. I say this as somebody with many years experience working in the telecommunications industry where I specialised in regional broadband solutions. It is for this reason I believe that more focus needs to be put on building the NBN outside-in. Target those with nothing or little first, before adding another layer for the city folk.
I may be so lucky to get ADSL where I move. Provided Telstra’s PTSN network runs near the fence and it isn’t prohibitively expensive to get connected to it. Alternatively though, and I am open to this, it will be an NBN satellite connection. I will be thankful for the free installation indeed.
A Desirable World 