Regional Telecommunications Review

On 7 July 2011 the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, announced appointments to the new Regional Telecommunications Review. The committee is chaired by Ms Rosemary Sinclair, and the other members are Mr Warren McLachlan, Mr Robin Eckermann, Ms Heron Loban, Mr Alun Davies and the Hon. Kim Chance.

The committee will review telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia, paying particular regard to initiatives that will enable regional communities to participate in, and realise the opportunities of, the digital economy.

The committee will provide a report to the government by 5 March 2012.

• Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee website

2008 Glasson Review

The Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, chaired by Dr Bill Glasson AO, assessed telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. The committee's report, known as the Glasson Report, was tabled in parliament on 15 October 2008.

• 2008 Glasson report (PDF, 4 MB) 

The Australian Government responded to the recommendations of the Glasson Review on 5 March 2009.  In line with the recommendations the government announced:

• The Digital Regions Initiative will fund innovative broadband applications to improve education, health and emergency services in regional areas through innovative broadband programs co-funded with all tiers of government.
• The continuation and enhancement of the Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme for Australians living and working in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage, including the replacement of older handsets for those without coverage and making more handsets available to emergency services and health organisations with a demonstrated need.
• A refocused Indigenous Communications Program to improve basic telecommunications services, basic public internet access and training to remote Indigenous communities.

Statement of response

Further information about these programs is available in the Australian Government's full Statement of Response to the Glasson Report.

• Statement of response (PDF, 121.9 KB)
• Statement of response (RTF, 253.0 KB)

2002 Estens Review

In August 2002, the Australian Government announced a review of telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote Australia.

That review was conducted by the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (RTI) committee, chaired by Mr Dick Estens. The committee was asked to report on the adequacy of telecommunications services in these areas and put forward recommendations to the government.

• Connecting Regional Australia—the report of the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Document ID: 108659 | Last modified: 30 August 2011, 12:58pm