James Riley
Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:26
IT Policy -
Government Tech Policy
Page 1 of 3
The Coalition will spend $6.3 billion on a mix of fibre, cable and wireless technologies to deliver "affordable high-speed broadband" nationwide by 2016 with minimum speeds of 12Mbps.
Opposition communications spokesman Tony Smith said the plan would give priority to under-serviced areas first, especially those in remote and regional areas.
He said Australians could expect the plan to deliver speeds of up to 100Mbps in metropolitan areas already served by fibre or HFC cable, and by speeds of up to 12Mbps in other areas, which would be served through the deployment of wireless and satellite technology.
The plan includes a heavy emphasis on the mass deployment of fixed wireless network technology in metropolitan areas.
Mr Smith restated the Coalition plan to cancel National Broadband Network if it wins government, calling the project "reckless and expensive."
Central to the Coalition plan is the commitment of $2.75 billion - with the expectation of leveraging at least $750 million in additional private sector funding – to construct a nationwide fibre optic backbone network.
The backbone would ensure two lanes of backhaul fibre as an open access network accessible to any telecommunications company to provide multi-technology broadband.
It promised to pass legislation that would allow the ACCC to set access pricing for backbone network.
Mr Smith said the mix of fibre, cable and wireless would serve 97 per cent of the population, with the final three per cent of Australians in regional and remote areas would be served by new generation satellite services.
"The NBN gives no priority to those who do not get an adequate service today – in fact Labor’s plan leaves them waiting up to eight years before they see a change," Mr Smith said.
