Queensland businesses say access to high-speed internet is the most significant issue facing their workforce in the next five years.
Access difficulties already affect three-quarters of the state’s businesses, an industry report has found, with more than one-third of those describing the impacts as “critical”.
Work-from-home arrangements throughout the pandemic have driven demand for strong connectivity and internet speeds, particularly in regional areas where the issue is more acute.Credit:Getty
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland, supported by super fund giant Australian Retirement Trust, came to the findings after focus groups and surveys of more than 500 businesses across the state.
“Our aim is to support Queensland businesses to be sustainable and resilient, both in the immediate and long term,” CCIQ chief executive Heidi Cooper said.
“To achieve this, businesses need access to infrastructure to improve their digital connectivity.”
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The insights form part of the business group’s Future of Work report, pitched as an effort to understand emerging trends and how businesses could plan for future growth and workforce sustainability.
A total of 70 per cent of businesses also expected the need for stronger digital skills among their staff to have an impact, the report found.
COVID-19 led to significant shifts in working arrangements, with recent research from the US suggesting about 30 per cent of all work days would be done from home in the post-pandemic world.
