Australia - National Broadband Network - Critical Considerations

Synopsis

The new broadband plan offers unprecedented opportunities for Australia. Not just in relation to telecommunications, broadband and the Internet but also for a range of new applications, most of which we can’t even envisage as this point in time. This report addresses the enormous opportunities that this infrastructure - as a utility - has to offer and also addresses at a high level the essential issues that need to be addressed. A critical issue is that it needs to be judged as the infrastructure for the digital economy. To simply see this as an upgrade to ADSL broadband would be a grave mistake. This report is complemented with comments from both the Digital Economy Industry Working Group and our International (Obama Team) Big Think Strategies Group.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. The National FttH Broadband Network (separate Report)
• 3. NBN Co bringing us to the next stage - September 2009
  • 3.1 Trans-sector approach now well-accepted
  • 3.2 The role of NBN Co
• 4. Governance and Management of the NBN/NBC
• 5. Regulations - critical considerations
  • 5.1 Learning form other models
  • 5.2 New regulations
• 6. Wholesale
  • 6.1 Robust regime based on previous experiences
  • 6.2 What about existing FttH users?
• 7. Technology critical consideration
• 8. Basic infrastructure
• 9. Co-development of the Digital Economy
• 10. Strategic differences of an NBN
• 11. NBN debate needs to be broadened
• 12. Comments from International experts
  • 12.1 Introduction
  • 12.2 Key applications include:
    • 12.2.1 Comment on ‘meatspace’ (1)
    • 12.2.2 Comment on ‘meatspace’ (2)
  • 12.3 Preparing new business models
  • 12.4 People issues
  • 12.5 Regulations
  • 12.6 Ideas for FttH applications
    • 12.6.1 Metering
    • 12.6.2 Remote sensing
    • 12.6.3 Wireless Access Points
    • 12.6.4 Fire fighting
  • 12.7 E-Health
  • 12.8 Education - what will they do for the economy?
  • 12.9 Remote diagnostics
  • 12.10 Unserved areas
  • 12.11 Trans-sector
  • 12.12 FttH Infrastructure
  • 12.13 FttH opportunities
• 13. Related Reports
  • 13.1 from DEIWG
  • 13.2 USA – reports produced for the Obama Transition Team
  • 13.3 Other Papers