Global - Infrastructure - Strategies for the Digital Economy

Synopsis

The ‘business case’ for Fibre-to-the-Home networks is no longer based solely on the commercial returns from Internet access and other communication services. It also incorporates the social and economic benefits provided by such infrastructure. In Australia, for example, the government is looking at using next-generation telecoms infrastructure to promote the digital economy including: telehealth, tele-education, smart grids, media and other FttH applications. BuddeComm has taken an industry leadership role to assist the government in this process. This report provides a vision and discusses the key issues and strategies needed for countries to develop their digital economies.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Essential for health, education and energy services
• 3. Infrastructure essential for the digital economy
• 4. Co-development of fibre and the digital economy
  • 4.1 Infrastructure comes before services (unfortunately)
  • 4.2 Whole-of-government approach is essential
  • 4.3 No digital economy without open networks
  • 4.4 Can the Obama Team provide global leadership?
• 5. Case study: Australian government is leading the way
  • 5.1 FttH Special Interest Group
• 6. Innovation networks: where e-science and telecoms meet
  • 6.1 E-science
  • 6.2 Citizens e-Science
  • 6.3 From video to virtual knowledge
• 7. Regulatory frameworks are failing
• 8. National benefits are astounding
• 9. Conclusions
• 10. Related reports

• Exhibit 1 - Many Eyes – e-science web site
• Exhibit 2 - Gigaport and SURFnet
• Exhibit 3 – Telehealth benefits of utilising national communications infrastructure