Rural Tech Hub Faces Closure After Government Funding Cut

If you live in a rural mobile black spot, sometimes calls to your phone company for help are not satisfactory.

This is why the government-backed Regional Tech Hub was set up in 2019.

The independent support service for rural Australians is run by peak industry body National Farmers Federation (NFF), which said in the past year alone it helped 28,000 people through its phone line, online portal, and connectivity assessments.

But its future now hangs in the balance, after the federal government cut its funding in the 2026 budget.

NFF president Hamish McIntyre said the organisation was searching to fill the $2 million funding hole to keep the support service running.

"We all know we still have many areas where we have difficulties with connectivity," he said.

"Towers to connect us aren't there due to our distances. We understand that — a lot of us are moving toward Starlink-type services. But there's still many that haven't got access to that or can't afford it."

Critical issue

Peter Dowling, from Central Highlands Development Corporation, said the service was relied on in rural parts of central Queensland.

"Losing that, that's a big loss for us as a region," he said.

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network's chief executive Carol Bennett said without the service, consumers would need to seek help directly from telecommunications companies themselves.

"Having access and connectivity in the regions has just become such a critical issue," she said.

"For those people it's about running a business, conducting work from home, educating their kids, accessing health services … even their safety."

'It's not over yet'

Ms Bennett said there were many initiatives underway to improve connectivity, including the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation bill, which will require telcos to ensure mobile coverage is reasonably available to all Australians by the end of next year through the use of technology like low Earth orbit satellites.

The Senate inquiry into Triple Zero (000) service outages is also due next month, which Ms Bennett said would have recommendations for ensuring regional Australians have connectivity.

She also suggested one change that could be made to immediately improve connectivity was to force service providers to share infrastructure, so users can connect to whatever network is available in an area.

"International visitors that come here, they can connect to any network that's available, but Australians can't."

A spokesperson for federal Communication Minister Anika Wells did not respond to questions asking why the service was cut.

However, they told the ABC her office would continue to improve connectivity by delivering approximately 900 projects across regional Australia, like the Mobile Black Spot Program.

"We know the importance of connectivity for all Australians, and will continue to deliver this through the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia," they said.

But with the service potentially facing closure in the next few months, NFF president Hamish McIntyre said the lobbying group would keep looking for other funding options.

"We'll be working hard with our members at National Farmers Federation, and trying to find alternative funding," he said.

"It's not over yet."