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Australian Broadband Guarantee - for providers

Australian Broadband Guarantee 2008–09 Program

What is the Australian Broadband Guarantee?

The Australian Broadband Guarantee provides all Australian residents with access to affordable metro-comparable broadband services. It offers financial assistance (in the form of incentive payments) to registered internet service providers to supply metro-comparable broadband services to residential and small business premises where such services would not otherwise be available.

The Government has allocated $270.7 million over the next four years to fund the Australian Broadband Guarantee. It has also committed to establish the National Broadband Network to provide high-speed broadband services to 98 per cent of the population.

The Australian Broadband Guarantee will provide certainty to underserved areas while the Network is being rolled out and for the remaining two per cent of the population that may not be served by this network.

The 2008–09 Australian Broadband Guarantee will commence on 4 August 2008 with applications open to all internet service providers offering end-to-end retail services.

Australian Broadband Guarantee 2008-09 guidelines

The Australian Broadband Guarantee Guidelines are now available.

Amendments to the Australian Broadband Guarantee Guidelines 11 July 2008

Minor amendments have been made to several sections of the Australian Broadband Guarantee Guidelines providing greater clarity.

  • Section 2.3.1, relating to Threshold Services, has been amended to make it clear that the provision whereby initial excess usage charges at higher rates than five cents per MB, up to the 3GB data usage allowance, will be considered compliant if the total price to the Customer for this data usage over three years would not exceed $2500 (GST inclusive) only applies to Threshold Services. This provision does not apply to Entry Level Service Plans or Added Value Service Plans.

  • Section 2.3.3 clarifies that for each Service Solution registered, Providers must have registered at least one Added Value Service with a speed of at least 1024/256 Kbps, and at least 5GB per month usage allowance (with no restrictions within these limits on downloads or uploads or usage time or peak/off peak limitations).

    Providers are also encouraged to register additional Added Value Service Plans with greater functionality including higher Data Speeds and/or data usage allowances which exceed those applying to a Threshold Service.

  • Section 3.5.3.2, relating the assessment criteria for Service Solutions, has been amended to clarify that networks that have been announced publicly to be rolled out on a commercial basis are considered to be existing infrastructure.

  • The Core Contract Provision in Attachment B, that relates to personal information, has been amended to clarify it is the Provider who will supply the Customer's information to the Department.

These amendments do not affect the closing date for applications. All applicants must complete the application form and submit it together with all accompanying documentation by 5.00pm AEST on Friday 29 August 2008.

Questions about the guidelines can be directed to:

Manager
Australian Broadband Guarantee Section
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Post: GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601
Courier: 38 Sydney Avenue, Forrest ACT 2603
Email: abgproviders@dbcde.gov.au

If you are an individual or small business interested in this program, please go to Australian Broadband Guarantee for consumers.

  • Document ID: 59473 |
  • Last modified: 14 July 2008, 11:45am