| $600m to fund large scale regional broadband projects |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Thursday, 21 September 2006 | |
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This new $600m phase will support "a small number of large scale infrastructure projects," but there has been no indication of how many, and, according to the Government will "leverage additional funding from the private sector and State and Territory Governments to extend the reach of broadband across rural, regional and remote Australia." However just how this leverage will be achieved has not been spelt out. Bidders will also be able to dip into other pots of government funding for communications infrastructure where their proposals meet eligibility criteria. They will be able to seek funding under the $30 million Mobile Connect program to improve mobile phone coverage or by bidding for funding under the $113 million Clever Networks program to extend fast broadband networks for education and health initiatives. According to the project guidelines, "The essential service deliverables for successful projects include wholesale services that enable retail Internet service providers (ISPs) to offer at least metro-comparable retail broadband services to under-served areas and premises." |
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