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Australia Connected - Fast affordable broadband for all Australians
Print this pageAustralia Connected, a funding and legislative initiative, was announced in June 2007 to deliver fast affordable broadband access for all Australians.
The centrepiece of Australia Connected is the rollout of a new, independent, and competitive national broadband network that will extend high speed services out to 99 per cent of the population and provide speeds of 12 megabits per second by mid 2009.
In parallel with the deployment of this new network, a new commercial fibre optic rollout via a competitive bids process and subsequent enabling legislation was announced.
Australia Connected is a comprehensive broadband solution for Australia that involves:
- A new national high speed wholesale network: The awarding of a $600 million competitive grant, formerly known as Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program, to deliver a mix of fibre optic, ADSL2+ and wireless broadband platforms to rural and regional areas. This rollout has been boosted with an additional $358 million in funding to ensure coverage to 99 per cent of the population;
- A new commercial fibre optic network: Facilitating a fibre network build in cities and larger regional centres via a competitive bids process and subsequent enabling legislation;
- Australian Broadband Guarantee: A safety net that ensures Australians living in the most remote or difficult to reach areas (the remaining one per cent) are entitled to a broadband subsidy of $2750 per household;
- Creation of BroadbandNow: A new one-stop consumer help centre with telephone and web information to assist consumers understand the technology options available to them and provide ready information about how to get connected will be available on 2 July; and the
- Preservation of the $2 billion Communications Fund: To ensure the funds are protected in perpetuity by legislation for the benefit of regional and rural Australians and to provide for an income stream for future upgrades.
Further details on these initiatives can be found in the following fact sheets:
- Document ID: 69994 |
- Last modified: 5 February 2008, 7:42pm