Federal Budget: $190m announced for northern Australia including $68m for Regional Connectivity Program

More than $68m included in the package will go towards another round of grants under the Regional Connectivity Program and addressing mobile black spots in regional areas.

Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt said the funding package will ensure northern Australia is "connected to the world".

"Measures in the 2021-22 budget will further help businesses scale up and diversify through the $111.9m Northern Australia Development Program," Mr Pitt said.

"The Coalition government is also investing $68.5m in telecommunications projects, which will improve digital connectivity across the north, including remote indigenous communities.

"These investments will be made over the next five years to support the implementation of the 20-year White Paper on Developing Northern Australia that will see growth in jobs and the economies of the north.

"Improved access in regional, rural and remote areas of the north will help people and business remain connected and benefit from the technology that is available to people in the major towns and cities."

The regions of growth to be piloted in the first stage are Mount Isa to Townsville; Cairns to Gladstone; Beetaloo Basin to Darwin Port; and Broome to Kununurra to Darwin.

The program will invests $9.3m over five years and will provide locally-based support for business development.

Regional Communications Minister Mark Coulton said the first round was "very successful".

He said applications that missed out in first round would have an opportunity to be funded in this round.

"Regional Australia has a great capacity for innovation and they need that connectivity and that level of data to able to reach their full potential," Mr Coulton said.

"In order to ensure regional Australians can continue to do the heavy lifting the nation asks of them, the government recognises - and is investing in - the need for improved connectivity."

Mr McCormack said the Regional Connectivity Program was going to be "transformational" for northern Australia.