Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

DEPUTY LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT IN THE SENATE

Address to the Celebration of Broadband on Yorke Peninsula

Tuesday, 19 August 2008

I am very pleased to be with you today to help celebrate the achievements of the Yorke Peninsula in harnessing the potential of broadband.

It is the result of joint determination and vision.

As I am sure many of you here today are aware, the Australian Government views the provision of broadband access as an essential nation-building activity.

It is the key to how we will participate in the future economic, political and social life of the country.

So it is with genuine pleasure that I offer my congratulations to the District Council of Yorke Peninsula, the Yorke Peninsula community and Internode - Agile Communications for your collaboration over the years to make your vision a reality.

Broadbanding the Yorke Peninsula is a great example of collaboration by all tiers of government, the community and the private sector.

I also commend the Council on hosting today's Connected@Yorke event to promote the effective use of broadband services.

Sessions today on cyber-safety, e-business, online tourism and learning, governments services online, and social networking, highlight the breadth of influence broadband has on the community.

These type of discussions drive interest in the internet, and in what the digital economy can offer every household, every day.

Release of Regional Broadband Strategy

I also congratulate the  

• state Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology; and
•  
• the Australian Communications and Media Authority

for their extensive research into the economic benefits and user perceptions of widespread broadband access in the Yorke Peninsula.

As we have heard the South Australian Minister mention, the study estimates that the economic benefit of ubiquitous, terrestrially-based broadband in the region would be $21.4 million over 5 years.

This is a great example of the flow-on benefits that broadband access provides.

Clearly, the demand for broadband services is strong in the region.

I understand that in December 2004 only 10 per cent of Yorke Peninsula's internet-connected households used broadband.

By March 2007 this figure had grown to 45 per cent of internet-connected homes.

There has been a confluence of government awareness-raising and infrastructure programs and the active promotion of broadband by Internode.

A recent survey showed that 64 per cent of farms in the region had, or had ordered, broadband services; with a further 20 per cent indicating an intention to.

Moreover, I understand that 97 per cent of Yorke Peninsula's population is now able to access terrestrial broadband services.

These are impressive statistics.

It means that the Yorke Peninsula community is now able to benefit from competitive communications infrastructure, and services.

I understand that the WiMAX fixed-wireless platform is delivering broadband services of up to 6 Megabits per second.

The Yorke Peninsula Network is a great example of what can be achieved in regional Australia, with the assistance of Australian Broadband Guarantee program.

Australian Broadband Guarantee

The Australian Broadband Guarantee ensures that all Australian residential and small business premises have access to services comparable with those most widely used in metropolitan areas.

It does this by offering financial incentives to registered providers to supply such services where they are not otherwise available commercially.

The Australian Government has now committed an additional $270.7 million for the Australian Broadband Guarantee for four years from 2008 to 2012.

The current phase of the Australian Broadband Guarantee was launched on the 4 th of August, and includes.  

• increased monthly download allowances, from 1GB to 3GB to keep pace with the trend in mainstream metropolitan services towards larger download limits.

• a $2500 (inc-GST) price cap over three years, including all charges.

Providers will also need to offer at least one service with a speed of 1024 kilobits per second downloads and 256 Kbps or above for uploads, and at least 5GB per month download allowance, as an added-value service.

For entry level customers, service levels of 256 kps downloads and 64 kbp uploads with a 500MB monthly download allowance are retained.

To encourage more terrestrially-based infrastructure, such as you have here in the Yorke Peninsula, the new ABG encourages registered providers to extend their terrestrial networks into new areas.

Upfront funding is also available to encourage approved providers to deploy new, terrestrial broadband infrastructure in areas that have a significant proportion of under-served premises.

Providers are already registered and up and running, including Internode.

National Broadband Network and other initiatives

The Australian Broadband Guarantee will complement the roll-out of the Australian Government's National Broadband Network.

We have committed up to $4.7 billion for the NBNa new, high-speed, fibre-based broadband network to be built in partnership with the private sector.

At the moment, there is a live, competitive process underway to determine who will build and operate the NBN.

In this regard I cannot disclose any information not already in the public domain.

However, the Governments goal is for a national network rolled-out progressively over five years that will offer MINIMUM speeds of 12 megabits per second to 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses.

The Government has also set clear objectives that the NBN provide benefits to consumers with services at affordable prices supporting high quality voice, data and video applications.

To ensure coverage in areas beyond the scope of the NBN, earlier this year I called for submissions on policy and funding initiatives to provide enhanced broadband to rural and remote areas.

The submissions were received in June and are currently being considered by my Department.

Those submissions were also provided to the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee which has been tasked with reviewing the adequacy of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia.

The Committee, chaired by Dr Bill Glasson, has completed an extensive public meetings' program throughout regional Australia and is now considering its findings.

The Committee is expected to deliver its report to me later this month.

The Government has committed to making available funding of up to $400 million in response to this review.

Clever Networks

Of course, the provision of the infrastructure is just part of the story.

The value of broadband capability is harnessed by how we use broadband and its capacity to transform the way we conduct our daily lives and business practices.

The Clever Networks program is assisting the South Australian community to increase its coverage, services and effective use of broadband.

There are two projects under the program that are encouraging innovation in South Australia.

The Clever Training project will use advanced broadband technology to break down the barrier of distance that limits access to technical education for students in regional, rural and remote South Australia.

By extending videoconferencing classes offered by the regional arm of TAFE SA, regional and remote students will have access to them at their homes or businesses using a PC or a 3G telephone.

This project will increase participation in TAFE courses by farmers and small business operators in regional, rural and remote areas of South Australia and encourage retention of young people in regional areas of the state.

The second project, High-speed broadband infrastructure and services for Berri, Murray Bridge and Port Pirie, will use broadband technology to improve communications between government agency sites, including Aboriginal Health clinics.

It is expected that this project will lead to broader local benefits in those three centres.

In addition to these projects the Broadband Development element of Clever Networks funds a network of 22 Broadband Project Managers and Officers across Australia.

In South Australia, the Broadband Project Manager, Don Basso, has been very active in working with communities to assist them with their broadband needs.

I understand Don has also been assisting the Council to host this event.

Louise Sladdin is one of four South Australian Broadband Project Officers, and looks after the Central Local Government Region including the Yorke Peninsula.

Louise is conducting eBusiness information sessions funded by the Australian Government and Broadband SA on aspects such as website development and receiving very positive feedback.

The eBusiness sessions will continue to be presented in multiple localities including Minlaton and Yorketown.

Conclusion

The current broadband developments occurring across the Yorke Peninsula make up a brilliant example of what communities, industry and governments can achieve.

Your efforts are a showcase effort of a vision realised by collaboration and commitment.

In the Yorke Peninsula you are laying the foundations for your future success and viability as a community.

You have established the framework to support future innovations in health, education, commercial enterprise and social engagement.

Once again, I congratulate the Yorke Peninsula's vision and in implementing broadband infrastructure and its uptake by the community.

I am glad to share the occasion with you all.

Thank you.