Zetifi is calling for farmers in New South Wales and northern Victoria to express their interest in trialling Zetifi solutions, as part the Morrison Government’s $2 million Alternative Voice Services Trial (AVST) Program. Zetifi will provide a multi-carrier connection so that triallists can confidently use Wi-Fi Calling to make calls, even when the household has poor or no mobile cellular coverage. The AVST Program seeks to assess and validate alternative technologies to provide better phone services and functionality in rural and remote areas.
Zetifi Founder and CEO Dan Winson explained that instead of relying solely on their current mobile, satellite or high-capacity radio concentrator (HCRC) coverage to make voice calls, Zetifi will provide a multi-carrier connection so that triallists can confidently use Wi-Fi Calling to make calls, even when the household has poor or no mobile cellular coverage.
While Wi-Fi Calling is not new, the maturity of the technology makes it an attractive alternative to traditional voice services for those living in areas with poor or patchy mobile coverage. The increased reliability, resilience and range of Zetifi’s ruggedised Wi-Fi means that rural and remote residents are less reliant on their proximity to mobile towers and other network infrastructure.
“Many of us living in highly populated areas take our phone service or mobile coverage for granted but that’s not the case for many people in rural and remote areas. The disruptions caused by the current pandemic, combined with more people wanting to work from rural and remote areas, have only emphasised the need for reliable connectivity,” said Dan.
“We’re keen to hear from farmers who are interested in taking part in these trials. By providing these farmers with a Zetifi Wi-Fi network, which enable them to make Wi-Fi calls, we’re aiming to prove that our technology can not only provide a solution to poor mobile coverage but provide a stable and reliable replacement for the legacy radio and copper network in rural and remote areas.”
The program will provide 50 farmers with access to a fully subsidised hardware installation and a 12 month subscription to Zetifi solutions to help them access better connectivity for Wi-Fi calls. 40 farmers will receive a ZetiBase, which predominantly provides indoor Wi-Fi for areas where weak mobile signals cannot penetrate the residence. The remaining 10 trial participants will be provided with a ZetiCell, a longer-range solution for areas with very poor coverage that provides outdoor Wi-Fi and the option to extend connectivity to sheds, yards and across the farm.
The company is looking to have all 50 units installed and ready to use by May 31.
Dan says the ZetiBase and ZetiCell solutions are just a few of the Zetifi hardware solutions developed to leverage existing telecommunications infrastructure while filling in connectivity gaps in the bush.
“While our focus in the AVST is on providing better home voice services, our unique advantage is that we can also provide more robust data connectivity and extend this connectivity right across the farm so that farmers need not drive home or to the top of a hill to get a connection,” he said.
The AVST Program will last for 12 months and participants will be able to continue their service and subscription at the conclusion of the trial.
To register your interest in receiving a Zetifi solution as part of the AVST Program, email hello@zetifi.com or call 1300 093 711.
