Regional Tech Hub to close by Aug. 31, ending free rural tech support

The government‑funded Regional Tech Hub, operated by the National Farmers' Federation, will cease operations on 31 August after its funding was withdrawn. The service, which provided independent advice on telecommunications for remote households and farms, supported about 80,000 homes over five and a half years and assisted more than 28,000 people in the last year alone.

Its closure follows a recent Telstra network outage that left many rural residents uncertain whether emergency calls would connect. Kristy Sparrow, co‑founder of Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia, warned that the loss of the Hub comes at a difficult time for families, farmers and small businesses that must now navigate a complex telecom market on their own. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will continue a year‑long inquiry into whether mobile carriers should be required to share network access with rivals in regional areas.