The Coalition government and its Labor opposition might have spent the day savaging each others policies for rolling out a nationwide broadband capability, but the ACS liked what it heard. And it has backed them both.
Forget the stark differences in their approach, the ACS says they’re both right, and is happy enough that there is a debate at all.
The peak professional body for the ICT sector took a seat on the fence – where it could get a comfortable view of the debate – and “welcomed comments on the need for investment into broadband infrastructure from the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator the Helen Coonan and Shadow Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Senator Stephen Conroy.”
“The important point is that equitable and affordable access to broadband is achieved – how that’s achieved is of secondary importance in our view,” ACS chief executive Dennis Furini said.
“We are pleased that both sides of politics maintain a focus on broadband access as a critical national issue and we commend them for moving the issue of broadband infrastructure up the agenda,” he said.
Mr Furini said high speed broadband infrastructure would have a “catalysing effect” on content, product and service innovation.
While welcoming the current debate, the ACS has a more ambitious view of what “high-speed” means – an order of magnitude higher than either political party.
It wants 30Gbps minimum to every Australian household by 2015.
Labor said this week it would invest up to $4.7 billion in a joint-venture with private sector companies to roll out FTTN-based (fibre-to-the-node) 12Mbps broadband access to 98 per cent of the population. The other two per cent – in rural and remote areas – would get access to improved speeds using more appropriate technologies.
Labor says it will pay for the plan by drawing down $2 billion from the Communications Fund, as well as Telstra dividends from the Future Fund, and receipts of further sell-down of Government’s remaining 17 per cent stake in Telstra.
The Coalition recognises the need for improved broadband speeds, but has not mandated what speeds should be and says the market should decide where investments go and what technology – DSL, fibre, wireless or satellite – should be used.
The ACS says it doesn’t care who oversees the roll-out of broadband. It just wants it done.
“Mobile communications and hardware convergence will create new user markets and a market for software and content – areas where Australian ICT is strong and provides leading solutions,” Mr Furini said.
“However without a consistent, reliable, high speed national broadband infrastructure that employs the latest technologies, Australia’s economic growth will suffer,” he said.
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