We'll have the world's best consumer broadband - says Tassie Government

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 18 February 2010 10:23

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Tasmanian Government has released a 10 year digital infrastructure strategy boasting that, thanks to the NBN, it will have " the best fixed consumer broadband in the world," by 2014 but flagging the need for greater investment in mobile and wireless infrastructure, applications, smart grids and other system-wide digital technologies.

The government's roadmap calls for the construction of another cable across Bass Strait within five years to bring greater competition to what, at present, is a duopoly between Telstra and the recently opened Basslink cable.

It also wants to put in place an arrangement with power utility Aurora Energy to use its power poles to carry the NBN fibre into customer premises (An opportunity to avoid unsightly overhead cables was lost several years ago; the State Government had planned to reticulate gas to many thousands of Tasmanian homes and businesses and to bury fibre to these premises along with the gas pipe)

The Government also says that Tasmania's small size and existing governance and business structures facilitates co-operation between the state government, local government utilities, communities and the private sector to support new telecommunications infrastructure and new digital business models.

It hopes to exploit this potential for co-operation along with the NBN to attract a number of "large-scale, innovative technology demonstration pilots" to the state.

Within five years The Government expects to have commenced a state-wide smart grid project that will enable power, water and transport utilities to be more efficient and more flexible. "They will be able to respond to population movements, to conserve scarce resources, and to introduce carbon neutral technology."

The Government's aim is that "By 2024, digital infrastructure should underpin our industries, services, and community life."