MEDIA

Stories and programs, inspired by BIRRR activities and lobbying, that have made it into the media (this is just a small snapshot of the media articles/stories we have done over the years):

ICPA, AgForce & BIRRR Meet with nbn Local

ABC radio interview on BIRRR Cyber Safety pages (Feb, 2018):

Interviews on Austereo (SkyMuster Survey). (Sept 2016)

TELEVISION

Data Drought (4/10/2015 ABC LANDLINE)

Slow internet in regional Australia creating a ‘digital divide’ and harming education and business (12/08/2015 ABC LATELINE)

Skymuster (13/10/2015 ABC BEHIND THE NEWS)

NEWSPAPER

2020

Digital tech advice service run by volunteers turns over to paid staff specialising in remote connectivity (ABC News, 19/09/20)

NFF wins government contract for internet, phone help service (AFR, 18/09/20)

COVID underlines importance of reliable internet – for everyone (QLD Country Life, 12/05/20)

Remote Telstra mobile users relieved to finally have SMS over Wi-Fi (Farm Online 06/05/20)

NBN Co to unmeter over 70 percent of traffic on Sky Muster Plus (IT News, 25/03/20)

2019

Digital gap narrowing for the bush (QLD Country Life, 30/12/19)

Mobile Black Spots Targeted in QLD (QLD Country Life, 20/03/19)

Politician accepts BIRRR invitation (Weekly Times, 30/01/19)

BIRRR tells McKenzie it wants to be redundant (QLD Country Life, 8/01/19)

2018

BIRRR respond to the Regional Telecommunications Review (Farm Online, 7/12/18)

NBN Co launch Sky Muster Plus (Farm Online, 13/11/18)

Your Internet, Your Lobby Group (Farm Online, 31/7/18)

BIRRR visit Canberra (Farm Online, 31/07/18)

Online Warriors (The Weekly Times – 15/08/18)

BIRRR Extends Landline Survey (QLD Country Life 3/4/18)

Future of Telecommunications (CQ News, 22/3/18)

BIRRR encourages Regional users to have their say (Sunshine Coast Daily, 20/3/18)

Cyber Bullying the Motivation for New BIRRR Resource (QLD Country Life 6/2/18)

NBN goes Sky High with Satellite (The Morning Bulletin- 16/1/18)

2017

Rural Community Leader of the Year Award (Farming Ahead, August 2017)

BIRRR renews calls for nbn call centre (Queensland Country Life – 28/2/17)

BIRRR warns against USO Loss (Queensland Country Life – 1/2/17)

2016

Rural NBN satellite service users far from impressed by outages (The Australian, 28/11/16)

BIRRR Founder Named as QRRRWN Woman of The Year (QLD Country Life, October 2016)

Volunteer bush internet support group swamped by desperate callers (QLD Country Life – 31/8/16)

Regional Communications Minister hears ongoing concerns with satellite internet plans (QLD Country Life – 31/8/16)

Survey lifts Lid on Net Misery (CQ News – 9/05/16)

BIRRR Calls for Service Guarantee (QLD Country Life – 4/5/16)

Bush Internet Survey Shocks (QLD Country Life – 4/5/16)

Bush Needs More Mobile Towers (QLD Country Life – 4/5/16)

Internet Advisory Body Call  (QLD Country Life – 21/4/16)

2015

Bush Broadband Untangled (Farm Weekly, Matt Cawood, 24/10/15)

Still loading….Staring at the Hour Glass (CQ News- 23/10/15)

Stay Connected through the #datadrought (Queensland Country Life 22/10/15)

Sky Muster no silver bullet (Queensland Country Life, op-ed Kristy Sparrow, 8/10/15)

Rural Users Fight to Fix Bush Internet (Chinchilla News, 8/10/15)

Data Drought takes Toll (Queensland Country Life column, Jessie Persse, 6/10/15)

Rural Disconnect… #fixbushbroadband (Daily Mecury, 28/08/15)

NBN is needed in regional Australia, and now (South Burnett Times, 30/8/15)

NBN drives remote families to data despair (The Australian, 1/8/15)

MAGAZINE

Facebook group helping Rural Consumers with Internet Issues  (ACCAN Magazine – 18/4/16)

Rural Community Leader of the Year – Kristy Sparrow ( Farming Ahead Magazine – 27/8/17)

Data Drought (Agforce Envoy – June 2016)

RADIO

Doubling of Sky Muster data limits in the bush welcomed by advocates seeking better internet  (ABC Country Hour 27/6/18)

Bush Broadband Circle of Blame (ABC Country Hour 18/4/17)

Survey reveals ‘data drought’ may not be fixed by NBN Sky Muster (ABC QLD Country Hour – 5/5/16)

Rural Internet Survey Results (ABC Rural – 5/5/16)

Outback Queenslander saving rural Australians money on their internet bills (ABC Western Qld, Ash Moore)

Country Hour – Thursday 1st October 2015  (ABC Radio)

Country Hour – Tuesday 25th August 2015 (ABC Radio)

Telstra un-meters distance ed sites (ABC Radio Western Qld)

ONLINE

BIRRR Drawn into NBN Customer Support Role (IT NEWS 6/8/18)

NBN Co accused of Sky Muster ‘Dumping Ground’ (IT News, 23/4/18)

Mobile black spots putting community safety at risk  (ABC News – 7/5/16)

Facebook Group helping rural consumers with internet issues (ACCAN, April 2016)

CWA NSW Support BIRRR Crowd Funding (CWA, 2016)

Health will suffer and business will close unless we #FixBushInternet (ABC The Drum, Amanda Salisbury)

Sky Muster a small step forward for NBN (The Business Spectator)

THE WIRE – Kristy Sparrow

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GENERAL LINKS on INTERNET ACCESS ISSUES

The United Nations Says Broadband a Basic Human Right (Forbes.com)

Australia’s internet speeding up, but not keeping pace with other countries (The Guardian.com)

Paul Fletcher Speech to ICPA (July 29, 2015)