IIA issues digital economy manifesto

By Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:33

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The IIA will release today in Melbourne 'Principles for a Digital Economy', its manifesto on Internet policy and regulation.
It comes with a set of recommendations to guide decision-making with the aim of turning Australia into " a leading knowledge based digital economy in the 21st Century."

Its key recommendations are:
- that Government commit to a process of benchmarking Australia's regulations and initiatives against other Western democracies in recognition of the fact the digital economy is borderless and skills and capital are increasingly mobile. "Australia should aim to become a 'Net friendly' destination for innovation and investment."

- that, as a nation, we must appropriately resource the research sector and encourage better linkages between the research community and industry, and the research community and government. "The implementation of national policy priorities, while the prerogative of the government of the day, is best done when those priorities are grounded in a sound understanding of the issues and policy options by which they can be addressed."

- that Australia's political and business leaders make it a national priority of government and business to drive productivity improvement through the development and deployment of information and communication technologies.

Other specific recommendations include:
- bipartisan support for an open access wholesale-only fibre-to-the-premises network with equivalent access for all access seekers, extended to provide ubiquitous super fast broadband access to all homes and businesses with wireless and satellite technologies;
- teleworking must become a national priority;

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