The Rudd Government has wheeled out four new funding projects under its Digital Regions Initiative that it says will use improved communications services to deliver better health outcomes in regional and remote Australia.

The Rudd Government will spend $160 million over four years to provide satellite-based digital television services to people in regional blackspot areas, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.

The Rudd Government will introduce mandatory ISP-level filtering of Refused Classification material on the internet based on a blacklist system and will provide funding to encourage service providers to give customers the option of more stringent filtering systems, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has announced.

The Rudd Government has not yet formed a view on whether the games classification regime should be reformed to include an R18+ ‘adult’ rating and already concedes there is little it can do without the cooperation of all states and territories.

Cisco Systems' corporate chieftains have disowned comments made by its Australian chief technology officer Kevin Bloch critical of the technical direction being taken in the $43 billion national broadband network rollout.

US-based technology services provider CSC has signed a four-year, $8 million deal with the Australian Electoral Commission to provide IT support for the electoral roll.

Australia does not have the critical mass of connections that would allow for the natural development of emerging applications in areas like e-health, education and business productivity and required Government intervention, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy expects to announce "substantial progress" in government negotiations with Telstra by Christmas, and says he expects the Nationals will back its telecommunications reform bill in the Senate in February.

In his first official statement since being appointed shadow communications minister, Tony Smith has picked up where Nick Minchin left off – hammering government for its lack of detailed planning for the $43 billion national broadband network.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced $26.5 million in investments in the first seven projects for its Digital Regions program, and reaffirmed Government’s commitment to both the national broadband network roll-out and telecommunications regulatory reform.