For small business owners, peak tourist season can be a double-edged sword. While it brings increased foot traffic, it also poses challenges, particularly with internet connectivity and payment systems.
Annalise Haseldine, the owner of a cafe in Wallaroo on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, faces these challenges daily. She has experienced persistent internet issues, impacting her sales significantly.
Wallaroo receives the National Broadband Network (NBN) service, but the influx of tourists over the summer puts a strain on the network.
“We’d have really bad days where we couldn’t connect to our payment terminal at all,” she explained.
This disruption affects not just individual customers but entire tables, especially during busy times like breakfast.
Tourist influx impacts local internet connection. (ABC North & West SA: Viki Ntafillis)
When payment terminals are down, customers often choose alternative cafes, opting for locations with more reliable services.
Desperate for a solution, Ms Haseldine turned to dual mobile data plans, connecting to both Telstra and Optus networks, hoping for better reliability.
Another local business owner, Lesley Tilbrook from Edithburgh, also struggles with connectivity issues. Her deli and newsagency experience frequent disruptions, with mobile connections dropping several times a night during peak season.
“As people ring in for orders, we might get the connection initially, but then the call suddenly drops.” This leads to multiple attempts per order, adding frustration to her already busy days.
Ms Haseldine relies on two mobile plans for better reliability. (ABC North & West SA: Viki Ntafillis)
Ms Tilbrook upgraded to satellite NBN and invested in a Telstra booster to improve her connectivity, but the problem remains.
The shutdown of 3G services has exacerbated these issues for many, as some businesses were relying on this older technology for backup.
“It seems we keep upgrading, from 3G to 4G to 5G, but we can’t seem to keep up with the actual roll-out,” she said.
Tourist Season Connectivity Challenges
Terry Austin, owner of the Troubridge Hotel Motel in Edithburgh, shares a similar experience. During holidays, his hotel’s internet and phone systems often malfunction, causing significant inconvenience.
Terry Austin experiences frequent internet and phone system drops during peak season. (Supplied: Terry Austin)
“You could tear your hair out with the problems we have,” Terry Austin lamented.
High-Speed Internet at a Cost
Paul Gardner-Stephen, a telecommunications expert and associate professor at Flinders University, shed light on these issues. He explained that while fibre to the property offers the strongest NBN connection, other types like fibre to the node, ADSL, and VDSL can slow down during peak periods.
“Mobile data connections become overcrowded during tourist season,” he noted.
This congestion occurs because many visitors use their personal mobile devices, sharing the same frequencies.
“Telecommunication companies usually base their provisioning on normal traffic levels, rather than peak season volumes,” Mr Gardner-Stephen added.
Paul Gardner-Stephen discusses connectivity issues in tourist towns. (ABC News: Annabel Francis)
Implementing full-speed internet nationwide comes with a price, as it requires additional investment in infrastructure.
“There’s a trade-off for Telstra and other telcos,” Mr Gardner-Stephen said. “Providing consistent high speed across all areas would increase costs for everyone.”
Telco Investments and Plans
Telecommunication companies are aware of these issues and are making efforts to improve infrastructure.
Michael Patterson, Telstra’s regional general manager for South Australia, announced upgrades in Kadina and Moonta Bay. The company plans to build a new mobile site at Edithburgh and add more in the Yorke Peninsula region under co-investment programs.
“We’ve invested over $4 billion in our mobile networks in regional Australia from 2017 to 2024,” Mr Patterson stated.
Optus is also accelerating its expansion, planning to increase the number of 5G sites to 1,500 by 2028 and 2,444 by 2030. The company invests approximately $1 billion annually to enhance its network.
“Our coverage currently reaches around 98.5 per cent of the Australian population,” an Optus spokesperson said.
Government Initiatives and Solutions
Recognizing these challenges, the Australian government has promised significant investment. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced $3 billion to upgrade numerous NBN connections and enhance internet services across Australia.
The government is conducting a comprehensive national audit of mobile coverage, focusing on black spots in regions like the Yorke and Eyre peninsulas.
“This audit involves drive testing of around 180,000km of regional and rural roads annually for three years, static testing in 77 locations across all states and territories, and using crowd-sourced data to identify areas needing improvement,” a federal government spokesperson stated.
Finding Reliable Connectivity
For businesses in tourist areas, finding reliable connectivity is crucial. Mr Gardner-Stephen advised checking internet service provider (ISP) reviews and contention ratios.
“A low contention ratio means more stable speeds,” he explained.
He also recommended businesses to transition to wired solutions if possible, as they offer more consistent performance.
Point of sale systems require stable internet connections. (Unsplash: naipo.de)
While these solutions can help, the ongoing issue highlights the need for better investment in regional and tourist-focused infrastructure.
Conclusion
For small business owners in tourist areas, reliable connectivity is essential for serving customers efficiently and ensuring business continuity. Solutions such as dual mobile plans, satellite NBN, and Telstra boosters provide temporary relief but do not address the core issue of network infrastructure.
Government investment and improvements in telco infrastructure are necessary to meet the needs of both locals and visitors.
If you’re a business owner facing similar challenges, sharing your experiences can help highlight the importance of this issue.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts on how we can improve connectivity in tourist regions.
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