For small business owners in South Australian tourist towns, reliability of internet and payment systems is critical for survival. Annalise Haseldine, owner of a cafe in Wallaroo, frequently experiences disruptions that can negatively impact her business.
Haseldine says, “We’d have really bad days where we couldn’t connect to our payment terminal at all.” This downtime often results in lost sales, particularly from groups of customers. The inability to process payments efficiently can drive customers away to competitors.
Haseldine says the influx of tourists impacts local internet connection. (ABC North & West SA: Viki Ntafillis)
Frustrated with the situation, Haseldine switched to using two separate mobile data plans—Telstra and Optus—hoping for more reliable service.
Unreliable Mobile Connections Hit Business Hard
Lesley Tilbrook, who runs a deli and newsagency in Edithburgh, shares similar experiences. Tilbrook says, “Both phone and EFTPOS systems cut out several times a night during peak season.” This unreliability often frustrates customers and impacts service efficiency.
Tilbrook has turned to satellite NBN for better internet service and uses a Telstra booster for improved phone connections. With the shutdown of 3G services, businesses face further challenges.
Tilbrook laments, “We seem to keep upgrading, from 3G to 4G to 5G, but we can’t seem to keep up with the roll-out.” This continuous upgrading has made it difficult for small business owners to find stable solutions.
Haseldine now pays two mobile phone bills to get a reliable internet connection. (ABC North & West SA: Viki Ntafillis)
Terry Austin, owner of a hotel motel in Edithburgh, faces similar issues. His phone and sales system regularly drop out during peak tourist seasons, causing significant disruptions.
Terry Austin says the phone and sales system drop out during peak season. (Supplied: Terry Austin)
Network Challenges and Solutions
Paul Gardner-Stephen, a telecommunications expert and Associate Professor at Flinders University, explains that the strongest NBN connection is fiber to the property. However, fiber to the node, ADSL, and VDSL connections can experience slower speeds during peak times as multiple users share the same system.
Gardner-Stephen says, “Where it gets worse, particularly during tourist season, is if you’re using mobile data.” The crowded network significantly slows down service for all users in these areas.
Telcos often underprovision mobile networks in tourist areas based on normal load, leading to issues during peak times. Additionally, implementing high-speed internet nationwide would come at a cost.
Gardner-Stephen notes, “If telcos were to provide full-speed internet everywhere, all the time, it would drive up costs due to the required additional infrastructure.”
Telco Investments and Government Programs
Telstra reports significant investments in regional mobile networks. Michael Patterson, Telstra’s regional general manager for South Australia, mentioned upgrades in Kadina and Moonta Bay and plans for a new site in Edithburgh.
Patterson says, “We’re looking into building two more mobile sites in the Yorke Peninsula region under co-investment programs,” highlighting Telstra’s efforts to enhance service in tourist areas.
Optus aims to expand 5G coverage to 1,500 sites by 2028 and 2,444 by 2030, investing approximately $1 billion annually in network improvements. Optus claims its coverage reaches about 98.5% of the Australian population.
Paul Gardner-Stephen says tourist towns could experience slower internet speed during peak season. (ABC News: Annabel Francis)
Government initiatives also aim to address connectivity issues. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s $3 billion plan aims to upgrade NBN connections and boost internet speeds in Australia ahead of the election.
A federal government spokesperson highlighted a national audit of mobile coverage, including blackspots on the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas. The audit involves testing coverage on over 180,000km of regional roads, static testing in 77 locations, and crowd-sourced data to identify and address coverage gaps.
Point of sale systems rely on internet connection. (Unsplash: naipo.de)
Tips for Mitigating Connectivity Issues
According to Gardner-Stephen, small business owners can improve their connectivity by choosing an ISP with low contention ratios or high typical evening speeds.
Gardner-Stephen advises, “If you are in an area where you depend on good data speeds during tourist seasons, moving to a wired connection is ideal.” Switching from wireless to wired services can significantly enhance reliability.
For businesses in areas with unreliable mobile networks, investing in satellite NBN and booster devices may offer necessary improvements.
