As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to assess what actually changed for technology in regional Victoria. Not global headlines, but developments that affected our businesses and communities.

Here’s my honest review of the year.

Infrastructure Progress

NBN Updates

FTTP conversions continued throughout 2025. More regional addresses gained access to genuine fibre connections, with improvements concentrated in regional centres.

The gap between well-connected and poorly-connected addresses persists, but narrowed slightly. Businesses in upgraded areas report meaningful improvements—better video conferencing, faster cloud operations, ability to use bandwidth-intensive applications.

Those still waiting remain frustrated. The digital divide within regional Victoria is as significant as the metro-regional divide.

Starlink Normalisation

Starlink became simply “normal” in 2025. Rural properties with poor NBN options now overwhelmingly choose Starlink. The service improved throughout the year—better speeds during peak times, improved weather resilience, stable pricing.

For rural and remote regional Victoria, Starlink has been transformative. Work that required town-based offices can now happen from properties anywhere.

Mobile Networks

Incremental improvements in mobile coverage continued. Some new towers, improved service in others. Nothing dramatic, but steady progress.

5G expanded in regional centres but remained unavailable in smaller towns and rural areas. For most regional Victorians, 4G remains the reality.

AI Integration

Embedded AI

The biggest AI story of 2025 wasn’t new applications—it was AI becoming embedded in existing software. Microsoft Copilot features throughout Office. Google’s AI across its products. AI enhancements in accounting, CRM, and business management tools.

Regional businesses adopted these features without thinking of them as “AI.” They’re just features that make software more useful.

Practical Applications

Regional businesses moved beyond experimentation to practical AI use:

• Email and document drafting
• Customer service augmentation
• Data analysis and reporting
• Marketing content generation

The pattern: AI handling routine tasks, humans focusing on judgment and relationships.

Agriculture AI

AI for farming continued developing. Satellite monitoring improved accuracy. Livestock sensors became more practical. Predictive analytics for operations gained traction.

Adoption remained selective—larger and more tech-progressive operations leading, others watching and waiting. The technology is ready; the skills and support ecosystem is still catching up.

E-commerce Evolution

Maturation

Regional e-commerce moved from “should I sell online?” to “how do I sell online better?” Businesses with established online operations focused on customer experience, fulfilment efficiency, and marketing effectiveness.

Shipping remained the challenge. Carriers improved regional service, but costs and timeframes still disadvantage regional sellers compared to metropolitan competitors.

New Entrants

Businesses that hadn’t previously sold online continued launching. The barriers are lower than ever—platforms like Shopify require minimal technical expertise.

But simply having an online store doesn’t guarantee sales. Competition is fierce and marketing skills matter.

Workforce Dynamics

Remote Work Stability

Remote work arrangements stabilised in 2025. The experimental phase is over. Companies comfortable with regional workers treat it as normal; those uncomfortable have largely returned to office requirements.

Regional Victoria continues attracting tech workers choosing lifestyle over CBD proximity. The flow isn’t reversing.

Skills Shortages

Despite increased training programs, skills shortages persist. Developers, data analysts, cybersecurity specialists, and technical specialists remain difficult to find in regional areas.

Businesses have adapted—hiring remotely, training internally, working with contractors. But the underlying shortage affects what’s possible.

Cybersecurity Reality

Incidents Increased

Regional businesses faced more cyber incidents in 2025. Invoice fraud, ransomware, account compromises—all more common than previous years.

Some businesses suffered significant losses. Others discovered attacks early and contained damage. The pattern: basic protections prevent most attacks, but many businesses still lack basics.

Awareness Improved

Positively, awareness increased. More businesses taking security seriously, implementing password managers, enabling two-factor authentication, backing up properly.

The incidents that did occur often prompted neighbours and networks to improve their own security. Learning from others’ pain.

Community Development

Tech Communities Strengthened

Regional tech meetups and communities continued growing. Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, and smaller centres all have active tech communities now.

These communities provide support, networking, and learning opportunities for regional tech workers who might otherwise feel isolated.

Events and Conferences

Regional tech events matured in quality and attendance. Ballarat Tech Week, agricultural technology conferences, and various industry events drew strong participation.

What Didn’t Happen

Some things I expected or hoped for in 2025 that didn’t eventuate:

Dramatic infrastructure acceleration: Progress was steady, not accelerating.

Mass ag-tech adoption: Technology is ready but adoption remains selective.

Resolution of skills shortages: If anything, demand outpaced supply.

Significant government digital service improvement: Incremental progress only.

Looking to 2026

Themes I expect to continue:

AI deepening: More sophisticated, more embedded, more normal.

Connectivity improving: Continued infrastructure investment.

E-commerce maturing: Focus on efficiency and experience.

Skills remaining scarce: Ongoing challenge for regional businesses.

Security remaining critical: Threats won’t diminish.

2025 was a year of consolidation rather than revolution. Technologies that arrived in previous years became embedded. Trends that began continued. Progress accumulated without dramatic breakthroughs.

For regional Victoria, that’s valuable. Steady progress builds sustainable capability. Flash-in-the-pan technologies don’t help regional businesses.

The trajectory is positive. We’re better positioned technologically than we were a year ago, even if no single development transformed everything.

Here’s to continued progress in 2026.