Telstra sign agreement to provide faster broadband in Torres Straits

Faster broadband services are set to come to the fifteen remote communities of the Torres Straits following the signing of an agreement between Telstra and the Torres Straits Island Regional Council.

It has been reported that the fifteen remote islands of the Torres Straits will be getting faster broadband services. This comes following the signing of an agreement between broadband and communications giant Telstra and the Torres Straits Island Regional Council. The agreement between the two was signed during the Local Government Association of Queensland Annual Conference in Mackay.

A councillor for the islands said that the two parties were delighted with the agreement, stating: “Council discussed with Telstra the benefit of partnering with TSIRC on this project and we believe everyone, in particular the people of the outer islands of the Torres Straits, will gain from the applications and services the technology will bring to the region. The network will also deliver significant savings for the Council by improving productivity.”

Telstra official Brett Riley said: “TSIRC will use the network to improve administration of the outer islands, while other residents and businesses will be able to use the network to access new services. State and Federal Government departments will be able to extend their private IP networks, which have become critical in the delivery of services such as telemedicine and elearning. The agreement demonstrates a major advancement in the delivery of services as it brings the outer islands of the Torres Strait on par with mainland areas.”

He added: “Detailed planning and network design is well underway and we expect to complete about 80 per cent of the network this financial year. We are hoping to build as much as possible before the wet season begins. The remainder of the works will be completed during the 2011 dry season.”

Source – Telstra