The NBN and its effect on productivity and growth of regional small to medium enterprise

Australia is currently embarking on a unique infrastructure project that may change the nature of the Last Mile access to Australian telecommunications forever. The National Broadband Network is designed to bring \u27Internet\u27 access to 98% of the Australian population by a mixture of fibre wireless and satellite technologies. The primary argument in favour of this project has been that it will increase productivity. With over 90% of Australian businesses classified as small or medium, many of which are located in regional areas, it is important to understand the impact that the NBN will have on regional SMEs. This paper provides an examination of current literature surrounding this question and explains a method by which an expert consensus can be gathered surrounding these issues. In addition, this paper will provide the preliminary findings of this research