Scenic Rim Regional Council is investing $300,000 in 2013/14 to deliver a Wide Area Network project aimed at enhancing the level of service provided to its communities in a rural region spanning more than 4200 square kilometres.
The project aims to improve the connectivity of Council offices at Boonah, Tamborine Mountain and Beaudesert by using microwave signals instead of the copper wire telephone network.
Mayor John Brent said the creation of a microwave wide area network between Council’s facilities was a cost-effective and proven technology solution for a long-term problem.
“This is about enhancing our level of service to the Scenic Rim community by providing our branch offices with improved access to Council’s central computer server in Beaudesert.
“We can no longer wait for the rollout of a national solution at some point in the future. The limitations of the copper wire telephone network are constraining the ability of council to do business.
“For staff working in our branch offices, the accessing of information from our central server has been hampered by slow data speeds.
“By establishing this microwave link we will overcome this tyranny of distance, which can only improve our service delivery to the community.
“Resolving this connectivity issue also enhances the ability of the organisation to provide IT support for an increased staff presence at our branch offices as circumstances dictate.
“There are also long-term cost savings for the organisation as integrated voice and data communication will be transmitted via this microwave link, rather than the across the telephone network.”
Cr Brent said a State Government contribution of $160,000 to the project only served to reinforce the importance of the initiative.
