“Telstra has been a major sponsor of the Regional Cooperation and Development Forum and the National General Assembly of Local Government for some years,” said Group Manager Director of Telstra Country Wide, Doug Campbell.
Doug Campbell was speaking at the 7th Regional Cooperation and Development Forum which was staged on 23 November as a precursor to the National General Assembly.
“Good relationships with Local Government are essential to our work in meeting the needs of rural and regional Australians,” he said. “Local Government is both a facilitator of change in telecommunications – particularly in its role in regional development – and a major user of telecommunications services. Good telecommunications systems are important to regional growth and the ability to attract businesses and provide community infrastructure.”
He said that with no two communities in regional Australia the same, Telstra Country Wide has 35 area managers located across the nation ensuring services meet local needs.
“Our health and community services must adapt to meet the needs of an ageing population,” he said.
“Telecommunications will make life very different for us, as we age, than was the case for our parents.”
He said already many older people are very interested in new technologies so they can keep in touch with their families. At the same time, they are learning and sharing skills with their grandchildren. “Many baby boomers are opting for a sea change to regional areas,” Doug Campbell said. “Often setting up consultancies, they are savvy users of telecommunications demanding high speed internet and wireless communications.”
He said with mobile phone ownership and internet access at home much greater in the 55–65 years age group than for those over 65 years, Telstra Country Wide is very much tuned in to the need to cater for an influx of technologically astute retirees and semi-retirees no matter where in Australia they choose to live.
