Kate Jones (pictured launching the AFL Grand Final festival in Brisbane in 2020) was formerly a Queensland government minister and is now a strategic adviser for HyperOne.Credit:Getty Images
It initially promised 1000 “off and on ramp” connections for regional areas,and that has now been expanded to 2000 following consultation with local communities.
Former Queensland government minister Kate Jones has joined HyperOne as a strategic adviser,and said the company wanted to update Australia’s existing fibre cable infrastructure,much of which is 20 years old and does not connect to many regional areas.
“The current digital networks in Australia are a little disjointed and are rapidly reaching capacity,they certainly won’t have the capacity we need to support the growth in data requirements expected over the next decade,” Ms Jones said.
“So we need to start building this infrastructure now so that it is ready for when we need it.”
She pointed out that many regional communities had large fibre cables literally beneath their feet,but without any way to connect to it were forced to rely on broadband or satellite connections.
HyperOne founder Bevan Slattery said the start-up would bridge the digital gap for regional parts of the country.Credit:Jesse Marlow
A report from Deloitte Access Economics found HyperOne’s $1.5 billion network was expected to deliver more than $3 billion in direct economic benefits,with much of that flowing to the regions.