AgForce is joining with a group of community organisations to champion better communications services for people living and working in rural, regional and remote areas.

AgForce telecommunications committee chair Georgie Somerset said putting an end to the data drought was one of the highest priorities for rural, regional and remote Australians.

"Effective and affordable mobile phone and internet services provide an economic and social lifeline for people in the bush," she said.

"It's an essential part of everyday life and is vitally important for community safety, to support business development, enhance children's education and maintain social connections.

"That's why all levels of government and all sides of politics need to collaborate with the telecommunications industry to extend and improve services in the bush as quickly as possible."

Mrs Somerset said the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition believed there were five fundamental outcomes that must be addressed to ensure equitable connectivity for regional, rural and remote consumers including:

• A universal service obligation that is technologically neutral and provides access to both voice and data, as voice connectivity is no longer enough on its own;

• Customer service guarantees and reliability measures to underpin the provision of voice and data services to deliver more accountability from providers and nbn;

• Long term public funding for open access mobile network expansion in rural and regional Australia;

• Fair and equitable access to Sky Muster satellite for those with a genuine need for the service, and access which reflects the residential, educational and business needs of rural and regional Australia;

• Fully resourced capacity building programs that build digital ability, and provide learning and effective problem solving support for rural, regional and remote businesses and consumers.

"These outcomes are ambitious but they are achievable, and they reflect the pressing need for change.

"A report out earlier this year laid bare the data drought confronting rural, regional and remote Australians with 88 per cent of the 6000 people surveyed saying current data did not meet their needs and 73 per cent saying they did not have reliable mobile phone coverage.

"Without leadership and without change, Australia risks growing and entrenching the digital divide between urban and rural telecommunications users.

"We all need to work together – government, industry and the community - to ensure that 2017 is the year we fix telecommunications in the bush."

More information about the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition's campaign is available at www.farmers.org.au/datadrought

Media Contacts: Scott Whitby 0418 733 102, Sarah Henderson 0427 626 853