The Broadband Tender: five alternative outcomes

This talk will outline possible outcomes of the National Broadband Tender (NBN) due to be announced early in 2009. This major national project will eventually involve a capital outlay of $ 4.6 billion from the Rudd government and an additional $5-9 billion from the preferred fibre network operator. A central issue is what services will be offered on the new broadband and will they justify the return on investment. The address will draw upon overseas experiences from study trips investigating broadband services, notably in Norway, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada. The thrust will be how broadband fits into the need for greater diversification of the Australian economy, and how we ought to take advantage of the opportunities emerging from new economic and social practices