Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has delivered the broadest hint yet that a Gillard Government will if re-elected consolidate Government information technology-related activities within a single portfolio.

The Gillard Government will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the media sector in the context of "converged communication" if re-elected, including a look at regulations for media ownership, free to air television, local content, and anti-siphoning provisions across the full range of digital platforms.

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard will unveil the National Broadband Network fibre "footprint" in Perth tomorrow, detailing which Australians will be connected to superfast optical-fibre and which will be serviced by slower wireless or satellite technologies.

The Coalition faces a significant business community backlash if it fails to deliver a broadband plan for Australia that at least matches the Government's existing National Broadband Network initiative, according to the internet sector's peak industry body.

Average Australian internet connection speeds are ranked 50th in the world - below New Zealand at 42nd - and just one-fifth the speed of top-ranked nation South Korea, according to the latest 'State of the Internet' report from Akamai Technologies.

Government must commit to a "full and frank" debate on the law enforcement merits of its universal data retention plans or risk an Australia Card-like backlash from a mistrustful public, the Internet Industry Association has warned.

With the Australian Government now in 'caretaker' mode ahead of the August 21 poll, the shutters have come down on hundreds of federal technology projects and the high pressure hose of Commonwealth IT procurement dollars has slowed to a trickle.

The National Broadband Network is the biggest industry development program ever undertaken in this country. Let's hope it works, because it's a huge chunk of change to throw at faster movie downloads.

Industry development policy for the tech sector seems to make a pilgrimage into the sunlight once every three years in a carefully choreographed dance with the electoral cycle.

For the tech industry, the 2010 election presents a crossroads, where the policy differences being presented to voters by the two major parties are stark.