$60 million to boost communications in the bush

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 05 March 2009 10:58

IT Industry - Strategy

The federal government has announced $60 million will be spent on regional, rural and remote telecommunications projects.

The funding represents an initial tranche of the $400 million foreshadowed to implement the recommendations of the Regional Telecommunications Review, which were received five months ago.

The bulk of this expenditure will be made in conjunction with state, territory and local governments.

The Digital Regions Initiative will get an extra $46 million to fund projects in the education, health and emergency services spheres.

Examples include telemedicine, educational videoconferencing, and digital technologies to improve emergency and disaster response.

Applications for funding will be invited by September 2009, with implementation to begin in early 2010.

The Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme will be boosted by $11.4 million, allowing an increase in the subsidy to 85 percent of the handset cost, including the replacement of handsets at least three years old and the purchase of additional handsets by health and emergency services organisations.

And the Indigenous Communications Program will receive an extra $3.7 million to improve essential telecommunications services, basic public internet access facilities and computer training for remote indigenous communities.

"Australia's regional, rural and remote communities deserve better communications systems and greater participation in the digital economy," said Stephen Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

The review's recommendations relating to the National Broadband Network will be considered at a later date.