This year has been like no other. Talk of recovery continues to dominate the national agenda, and at Telstra we believe it’s time to strengthen our economy and our communities.

Australia now has a significant digital economy and for many Australians, communicating through technology is part of their everyday experience. The pandemic has accelerated digital adoption, from at-home working and learning to telehealth and online shopping.

These changes stand to benefit rural and regional Australians, so Telstra wants to maintain the momentum and with the help of our partners and stakeholders, make the best of them permanent as we further progress digitisation in our economy. This approach is central to our tenant of responsible business. At Telstra we are always looking for new ways to support our customers, particularly under challenging circumstances.

It’s why we are investing in initiatives to improve the country’s cyber defences, such as our new Cleaner Pipes initiative, and worked hard to achieve carbon neutral status across all our operations. Telstra’s recent carbon neutral certification came well ahead of our initial plan and was reached through agreements with various carbon-offset organisations, including two based in regional Australia. 

It’s also why we continue to invest in our regional network. In the five years to end June 2020, Telstra invested $7.5 billion in our mobile network nationally, with $3 billion of that invested in regional areas alone. These results show Telstra’s investment in regional Australia is as strong as ever. They also align with our commitment to help bolster the national economy so all Australians can face the future with confidence.

Click here to read our latest regional newsletter 

Chris Taylor, 

Regional General Manager

Telstra