Technology news and Jobs 
Telecommunications Coonan backs down on Broadband Guarantee scheme
Telecommunications Coonan backs down on Broadband Guarantee scheme | Coonan backs down on Broadband Guarantee scheme |
|
| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 20 March 2007 | |
|
Page 2 of 2 Coonan claimed that: "This selection process will provide an orderly process for selecting high quality broadband services to be eligible to receive a subsidy under the Australian Broadband Guarantee. It will also avoid unnecessary duplication between terrestrial broadband providers and remove overlap with the forthcoming Broadband Connect Infrastructure program [the plan to award grants totalling $600m to a handful or possibly only one organisation or consortium willing to undertake a large scale broadband rollout in regional and rural Australia]." Featured Whitepaper
5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support
"As a general rule registration will not be approved for terrestrial services where proposed activity is simply modification of existing services and infrastructure, rather than establishing new access infrastructure to provide metro-comparable services to customers." And, in line with the general urgency attached to the scheme, the rules were designed to ensure speedy response from ISPs because only one terrestrial provider was to be allowed in any area. "A registered Australian Broadband Guarantee provider offering terrestrial broadband services may apply to offer registered services in a particular service area. To be approved the provider must be able to demonstrate that Australian Broadband Guarantee services will be offered in that area within a short period of time. Once a terrestrial Australian Broadband Guarantee provider is registered in a particular area no other terrestrial provider can register or receive an incentive payment in that area." Under the revised arrangements Broadband Connect Providers will be offered a funding agreement under the Australian Broadband Guarantee until 30 June 2007, provided they meet the following conditions: - They are offering retail services via either their own 'last-mile' infrastructure or via satellite; that is, they are not wholesalers or simply resellers of other end-to-end wholesale services; - They can demonstrate that they have the ability to connect customers in the transitional period; that is, they have eligible terrestrial infrastructure in place or can offer satellite services immediately; - The services being offered are metro-comparable, taking into account the new Australian Broadband guarantee rates of $1000 (ex GST) for terrestrial services and $2500 (ex GST) for satellite services; and - They have complied satisfactorily with their obligations under their Broadband Connect funding agreement. Draft guidelines for the Broadband Guarantee programme are due out later this week and final guidelines on 2 April.{moscomment} |
Tags
| < Next story in category | Previous story in the category > |
|---|
