BROADBAND WIN FOR RURAL AND REGIONAL AUSTRALIANS
Monday, 18 June 2007
Press Release by The Hon Mark Vaile
Rural and regional Australians will have access to crucial broadband services no matter where they live under the Australia Connected funding and legislative package announced today, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of The Nationals Mark Vaile said.
“High-speed broadband will be available to 99 per cent of Australians under the new $1.85 billion Broadband Connect initiative with the remaining one per cent covered by the $162.5 million Australian Broadband Guarantee,” Mr Vaile said.
“This is a landmark announcement for rural and regional Australians in terms of technology roll-out.
“Most Australians got connected to utilities such as the telephone and electricity in the first half of the 20th century yet many rural and remote Australians had to wait decades longer.
“With broadband, the telephone service equivalent of the 21st century, all Australians will get access at the same time. This is great news for rural and regional Australians and will ensure they have the infrastructure and services needed to remain connected in a competitive global environment.
“Importantly this is just the beginning. The $2 billion perpetual Communications Fund delivered by The Nationals will provide an ongoing income stream of $400 million every three years starting in 2008 for continuing roll-out of telecommunications needs in regional Australia, including mobile telephony, broadband and fibre-optic backhaul.
“Broadband Connect, to be delivered by OPEL, a consortium of Optus and Elders, will target underserved areas of rural and regional Australia with a combination of high speed WiMAX wireless broadband, ADSL 2+ and new fibre backhaul, offering speeds of 12 mbps by June 2009 at national retail prices of between $35 and $60 per month.
“The network will be funded by $600 million from the Government’s Broadband Connect, a further $358 million Government investment and a matching commitment from Optus and Elders of $917 million.
“I am also pleased that the Government is bringing forward the first Regional Telecommunications Review which will identify areas of need for the investment of $400 million in proceeds of the $2 billion Communications Fund from July next year.
“We will also legislate to protect the $2 billion Communications Fund from being drawn down into the future. Labor’s policy is to steal this fund from regional areas to use it in commercial areas in the cities, leaving nothing to help fund the future needs of the 7 million Australians that live outside our capital cities.
