In an historic move, Federal Labor will revolutionise Australia’s internet infrastructure by creating a new world class National Broadband Network.

Labor will invest up to $4.7 billion to establish the National Broadband Network in partnership with the private sector. This will be over a five-year period.

This is necessary to boost productivity growth and build long-term economic prosperity once the mining boom is over.

Together with Federal Labor’s Education Revolution, the National Broadband Network plan will provide a platform to build and expand Australian business.

The National Broadband Network will connect 98 per cent of Australians to high speed broadband internet services – at a speed more than 40 times faster than most current speeds.

Federal Labor will increase speed to a minimum of 12 megabits per second. This means business, education and household services on the internet including entertainment will happen in “real time”.

The remaining two per cent of Australians in regional and remote areas not covered by this network will have improved broadband services.

Nation building in the 19th century meant building a national rail network; Nation building in the 21st century means building a National Broadband Network.

Currently, Australia is 25th in the world in terms of available internet bandwidth behind Slovenia and the Slovak Republic. If we are to remain globally competitive, we must address this as an absolute priority.

New services and benefits of the network – particularly in rural and regional areas – include:

   Slashed telephone bills for small business;
   Enhanced business services such as teleconferencing, video conferencing and virtual private networks;
   Enhanced capacity for services like e-education and e-health; and
   High definition, multi-channel and inter-active TV services.

A new national broadband network is critical to building the platform for economic growth, productivity and prosperity.

It is estimated the new network would deliver national economic benefits including:

   Up to $30 billion in additional national economic activity a year;
   Making Australian small businesses more competitive;
   Creating new international and domestic markets for businesses and new jobs for Australians; and
   Greater media diversity.

A range of domestic and international studies have reinforced the potential for broadband to stimulate economic growth. For example, in Australia:

   A state-wide broadband network in NSW will boost state’s economy by $1.4 billion a year, increase employment by 3,400 jobs after 10 years and raise exports by $400 million over its first decade; and

   True broadband in Queensland will boost the state economy by $4 billion and create 1,200 new jobs.

The National Broadband Network will be funded by using existing government investments in communications to provide a public equity investment of up to $4.7 billion in the new broadband network.

This would include drawing on the $2 billion Communications Fund and the Future Fund’s 17 per cent share in Telstra, which, consistent with the legislated position, will earn dividends and be sold down to a normal level over time after November 2008.

This is a tough decision which the Federal Labor caucus has taken and it will be recommended to the ALP National Conference next month.

It is a clear and decisive break with the past. It is about securing Australia’s long-term future economic prosperity.

This broadband revolution is a huge win for small businesses, students and personal computer users across the nation and will change Australian business and computing forever.

This will be the greatest national investment in improving information and communications technology and broadband internet access in the nation’s history.

A Rudd Labor Government will:

   Partner with the private sector to deliver the National Broadband Network;
   Undertake a competitive assessment of proposals from telecommunications companies;
   Ensure competition in the sector through an open access network that provides equivalence of access charges and scope for access seekers to differentiate product offerings; and
   Put in place regulatory reforms to ensure upfront certainty for investment.

Your point being? The very nature of the NBN has improved since its inception. Fibre to the Home will be torrenting you movies faster then you can rub one off.

Be appreciative.

Maqqa wrote on Jun 27^th, 2011 at 12:31am:

Hey maqqa. What has happened to pretty much every policy on the run creation of labor. They have failed or wasted many millions and killed people. Not looking good for this NBN policy on the run is it?

Maqqa wrote on Jun 27^th, 2011 at 12:30am:




LOL we all had a good laugh at that and now even the ALP voters do.
1. World class - FAILED, already outdated and Conroy states that wireless will pass it very soon
2. $4b - FAILED, try over $80b plus the carbon dioxide tax (which will then be over a 2,000% increase),
3. necessary - FAILED, no it isn't the Australian economy can get by without it as has already been proved.