Regional Business Takes Hat Off to nbn Fixed Wireless as Orders Double

As Australia’s accelerating digital economy is valued at $79 billion, representing 5.1% of GDP, [1] the businesses, large and niche that are powering the engine room of this industry are demanding an infrastructure that supports their needs.
nbn service provider Activ8me, is currently deploying new communications solutions to regional and remote Australians and witnessing significant uplift for their customer’s business activities.
Regional Queensland customer, Cannard Hats, is using nbn Fixed Wireless services from Activ8me, which services business owner Chris Cannard’s home town of Boonah located in the Scenic Rim Region of south-eastern Queensland. The town has a population of 2,474 and has traditionally suffered from a lack of adequate communication services.
The Cannard Hats business, which designs and manufactures Western style hats and accessories, operates from a regional home studio and workshop with 90% of sales, marketing and distribution conducted online. The problem for Chris Cannard has been that retaining a basic online connection has been relatively impossible until joining the nbn through Activ8me.
“My business is built on servicing clients that are located in diverse regional areas of Australia so I need to have a stable online connection to interact with them. Until joining Activ8me we had been struggling with connection issues, losing customers due to lack of responsiveness and unable to send files with images,” Mr Cannard said.
With little information on what connection options were available, Cannard Hats had put its marketing plans on hold which focussed around a new website with an online transaction portal until Mr Cannard discovered Activ8me via word of mouth.
“We signed up to Activ8me and the process was seamless from the initial call to the installation. My business has  boomed and I am now connecting to clients literally at a touch of a button and liaising with customers in real time. Given that we did not even have a land line this world of high speed connection has turned our businesses around. We knew about nbn but we didn’t think it was possible for us,” he said.
Cannard Hats now boasts a customer base that spans the West of Katherine in the Northern Territory down to Boocar in regional Victoria. Already there has been a 50% improvement in revenue in two months since connecting to the nbn.
The regional digital economy will reap the benefits of high speed nbn services says Tony Bundrock, CEO of Activ8me.
“For too long regional Australia has been held back from connecting to the rest of Australia and the world by inadequate internet infrastructure. The nbn is opening up the pathways to business development and expansion in regional areas which is helping drive the massive economic change and disruption of the digital economy. Significantly many regional businesses do not know that they have access to this new technology,” Mr Bundrock said.
Activ8me is  now able to service more than 300,000 premises in regional Australia with nbn Fixed Wireless and an additional 65,000 premises being added to the service list over the next 12 months. For residents currently using satellite or have a poor ADSL connection, nbn Fixed Wireless is a significant experience upgrade with consistency of service, fast connectivity and uncapped bandwidth packages.
As the nbn rollout gathers pace, nbn Fixed Wireless areas continue to be deployed through Australia. In the last four months over 7,000 premises went livein regional Queensland areas. This includes but not limited to areas surrounding:

• Bundaberg-Gympie district including Alloway, Gooburrum, South Bingera, Sharon South, Bucca, Drinan, Maroondan, Pacific Haven, Bungadoo, Pie Creek, Veteran, Tamaree, Widgee, The Dawn, Chatsworth.
• Stanthorpe and Border ranges including Killarney, Woodenbong, Wiangaree, Nimbin (NSW) and areas surrounding Kyogle (NSW).
• Townsville district including Atherton South, Babinda, Innisfail, Pawngilly, Bramston Beach, Mirriwinni, Pin Gin Hill, Wangan, Cucania and Waughs Pocket.

Regional residents can find out more information on nbn Fixed Wireless service areas and plans by contacting Activ8me on 13 22 88 or visiting:
https://activ8me.net.au/internet/nbn-fixed-wireless-plans