- NZ farmers say mobile connectivity has worsened since the 3G shutdown.
- Half of surveyed farms reporting coverage across less than half their property.
- The transition forced one in seven farms to replace still-functioning tech.
Since the 3G network began to be phased out in March this year, farmers have encountered black spots and poor reception.
A Federated Farmers survey found thathalf of farms now have mobile coverage across less than half of their property, while one in three farmers has lost 3G connectivity in parts of their farm where it was previously available.
“For farmers, subpar telecommunications is like trying to drive with half the cylinders misfiring,” said Federated Farmers telecommunications spokesperson Mark Hooper.
“Our survey shows how different wireless frequencies travel across the landscape, and whatever other factors might be at play, have left too many farming families and businesses with significantly lower standards of service and reliability.”
The survey revealed that one in seven farms had to replace equipment that relied on 3G coverage.
Some affected farmers ended up spending thousands of dollars on replacing gear that was still working.
Two in three farmers paid for workarounds such as satellite broadband, but only 15% regarded satellite-to-mobile services as an adequate substitute for a cell tower.
Hooper said farmers were previously reassured that the vast majority of areas previously covered by 3G would have 4G and 5G.
“Earlier talk from telcos that rural residents don’t have to worry about the shutdown of 3G networks has proved hollow,” he said.
Farmers not ‘taken seriously’
Beyond technology costs, farmers highlighted concerns about worker safety and emergency communications.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they could not reliably contact emergency services from most of their farm, while more than 40 farmers reported having no location on their property where they could consistently reach 111.
In one case, a farmer said patchy mobile coverage contributed to failing a WorkSafe audit because communication requirements with staff could not be met.
The survey, conducted between late August and early September, found that only two of the 126 farms reporting coverage and reliability issues had their problems resolved.
“It’s of considerable concern to hear feedback that reporting problems to providers often doesn’t result in a fix – with some providers pretty much denying there’s an issue,” said Hooper.
“That’s very frustrating and indicates their concerns aren’t being taken seriously.”
Calls for connection restoration
Federated Farmers is now holding urgent discussions with telecommunications providers to understand what improvements can be made through existing infrastructure or planned network investments.
Hooper said the organisation recognises that major investment in older infrastructure may be difficult to justify as satellite-based services continue to develop.
However, he stressed the importance of focusing on solving the immediate problem for farmers, especially as their businesses now rely so heavily on connectivity.
“We have some sympathy for the argument that further extensive investment in ‘old technology’, such as new towers, when satellite calling or call support and the like is on the way, may not be the best use of resources. But we’re also interested in the here and now, and what fine-tuning of existing infrastructure might be possible,” said Hooper.
He added that he would expect providers to focus on restoring service quality in the near term.
“At the very least, surely we can get more farmers hooked back up to the service standards they had with 3G.”