Market Clarity finds high ADSL availability in Australia

Analyst firm Market Clarity has released a report that analyses the relationship between new regional broadband initiatives (such as OPEL and Telstra’s NextG) and existing telecommunications infrastructure. The company has also published a Broadband Presentation Pack that identifies the location of Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure and provides information on ownership, use, and capabilities.

This self-funded report, The State of Broadband Infrastructure in Australia, identifies a large overbuild between the government-funded OPEL network and existing wireless broadband investments. Many of the companies now offering fixed wireless broadband have focused on regional deployments, and are therefore likely to find themselves in competition with the OPEL WiMAX rollout. On the other hand, the existence of a wholesaler with a broad regional presence will create new opportunities for retailers to launch widespread regional services.

Market Clarity has also found surprisingly high ADSL2/2+ availability in Australia. More than 9.6 million individuals in more than 3.7 million households live in exchange areas in which ADSL2/2+ has been deployed.

According to Market Clarity CEO, Shara Evans, The State of Broadband Infrastructure in Australia represents two years of research to collate, analyse, and identify the location of Australia’s broadband infrastructure.

“The information is unique. It provides a ‘can’t get it anywhere else’ resource for decision makers and architects of public policy and planning on broadband for Australia,” she said. “It lets you know where the infrastructure is, who owns it, and how
it is being deployed.”

According to Evans, the information in the research provides a comprehensive extension to the Telecommunications Infrastructure Report Card released by Engineers Australia in December 2007, which drew upon Market Clarity’s extensive telecommunications infrastructure database.

“The Engineers Australia Report concludes that Australia is reasonably well served by its telecommunication infrastructure,” she said.
“However, the report also calls for a strategic plan and long-term vision for Australia’s telecommunications infrastructure to overcome the inequitable service divide between cities and the country. It also calls for strategy to encourage the uptake of newer technologies, sooner.”

Shara Evans said: “The State of Broadband Infrastructure in Australia research takes this information a
leap further, with a wide range of geospatial maps depicting the availability of Australian broadband infrastructure.

“It provides well researched information on the location of key telecommunications infrastructure – as well as highlighting areas of the nation that require further attention. It also outlines the current and future needs for higher bandwidth speeds by
various sectors.”

She said The State of Broadband Infrastructure in Australia research would be a highly sought-after resource for decision makers developing policy on gigabit connections to the home over the next decade.

“These services need to be affordable for users. To rollout ultra high-speed broadband and maintain this level of affordability will require an extended ROI period, which could easily span more than a decade.”

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