Digital Strategy gets the thumbs up from industry

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 31 May 2011 18:07

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Government's National Digital Economy Strategy has received a generally positive response from key IT and communications organisations.

Communications Alliance described the strategy as "a constructive step toward ensuring Australians derive the benefit they deserve from their investment in the creation of a National Broadband Network."

Comms Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said the strategy was "well targeted" but cautioned that it would require concerted stakeholder buy-in across industry, the community and - in particular - across all tiers of Australian Government, if the stated goals for 2020 were to be realised. "International experience shows that rolling out a network alone will not deliver a digitally-engaged population," Stanton said.

"The successful drive for digital engagement in countries such as the Republic of Korea began with a comprehensive approach to online delivery of Government services, which laid the platform for widespread uptake of a broader range of online activity in the community and in business.

"We need to see state and local governments fully engaged with the Federal initiative and contributing their impetus to the growth and optimisation of Australia's digital economy."

He said that some of the initiatives to be funded under the strategy could prove crucial. "The work to be undertaken by the Human Services portfolio to improve service delivery and human interaction with government and the further studies under the 'Tell Us Once' initiative are not headline-grabbers, but may prove key to realising real benefits in the lives of many Australians."

Ian Birks, CEO of AIIA - an organisation which has probably had more involvement in the development of the strategy than any other - said that, with the launch of the strategy, the time was ripe to "shift [focus] from network and technical discussions to participation and content."

He reiterated that the NBN was "only a means to an end," and said the priority should now be "the intelligent application of technology to redefine business models, engage and revitalise the enormous contribution that regional Australia has to make and address broad issues ranging from social cohesion to environmental sustainability."

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) made no comment on the strategy as a whole, focusing instead on praising the Government's plan to set up 'Digital Hubs" to provide people with community-based computer and Internet training.

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