Thirty six providers share $878m broadband subsidy

Stuart Corner
Monday, 13 February 2006 05:33

Your IT - Home IT

Communications minister, senator Helen Coonan, has named 36 companies able to offer broadband connections in rural, regional and remote Australia under the Government's $878 million Broadband Connect program.

Broadband Connect continues the HiBIS scheme that provided subsidised broadband access for more than 700,000 households. However, it has eight times the amount of funding HiBIS received and, according to Coonan,  "represents a greater opportunity to deliver sustainable broadband solutions, more room for innovation, and more scope to explore the growing range of new and existing broadband technologies.

The second stage of Broadband Connect will take effect from 1 July 2006 following consideration of responses to a public discussion paper released last year on both the $878 million Broadband Connect program and the $113 million Clever Networks program. A full list of registered Broadband Connect providers can be found at:
http://www.dcita.gov.au/tel/broadband_connect/