The ad links to the Federal ALP's broadband policy page, which calls on visitors to sign a petition stating the Australian Government should implement a high speed broadband network to "ensure our global competitiveness in business and education".

"For too long, Australian business and education have been struggling with a very slow broadband infrastructure. Currently, Australia ranks 25th in the world for available internet bandwidth," reads the site. "How can our businesses compete in markets where superfast broadband is cheap, reliable and widespread? Why should our kids grow up in a world where children of other nations enjoy lightning broadband in every classroom?"

Labor has also formed an ALP Broadband Taskforce of seven MPs, led by Labor communications spokesman Stephen Conroy, to take Labor's message to rural and outer metropolitan areas, reports The Australian.

Such an online advertising blitz by an opposition party is unprecedented outside an election campaign. Combined with Labor's broadband taskforce, it marks the next stage of unofficial campaigning as Australians prepare to go to the polls later this year. The first of a series of advertisements, it currently appears on sites such as builderau.com.au and is scheduled to run across other sites including Telstra's BigPond domains. It comes after Labor launched a national radio advertising campaign in late March in support of its broadband proposal.

Labor's online campaign comes as Telstra steps up its war of words with Australia's consumer watchdog, taking out full-page advertisements in major daily newspapers in every capital city - urging the public to "tell the ACCC to stop saying `No' to high-speed broadband".

The Federal government failed to allocate funds for building a national fibre network in last week's Federal government, driving speculation the government will unveil a broadband plan in time for the federal election. Both Treasure Peter Costello and Prime Minister John Howard insist such a network should be funded by the private sector.

Labor put broadband at the centre of the political debate in March when it proposed the government partner with private enterprise build a national Fibre to the Node network within five years - ensuring 98 per cent of Australians have internet access of at least 12Mbps. Should it win this year's federal election, Labor intends to contribute $4.7 billion of government money towards the project, with the private sector providing as much again.{moscomment}