| Another ministerial broadband furphy |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Friday, 27 April 2007 | |
  
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I'm not sure what Government report she has in mind, but the report of the Broadband Advisory Group (admittedly a report to the Government, not by the Government) published in January 2003, said: "What quantum of productivity gains might be possible? Accenture estimates that next generation broadband could produce economic benefits of $12 billion to $30 billion per annum to Australia. This assumes that broadband is adopted as universally as the telephone over the next 25 years. A policy of encouraging widespread broadband adoption could deliver accelerated economic value within years rather than decades." As recently as August 2006, the minister was citing this same estimate as evidence of the importance of broadband and justification for the Government's broadband initiatives. In an address to the Australian Financial Review National Infrastructure Summit, she said: "One report suggests that next generation broadband could produce economic benefits of between $12 and $30 billion per annum. And that is why the Australian Government is devoting considerable resources - $1 billion to date and a further $3.1 billion proposed - to the rollout of advanced communications services around Australia. There can be no argument that broadband infrastructure is critical to Australia's future prosperity. It must be a national priority." Today's attack on the ALP's plan is the latest in a series from Coonan, none of which stand up to even the most cursory scrutiny. Which suggests that the policy is seen as having real merit and is rattling the government.{moscomment} |
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