Time for Rudd to deliver on broadband promises

Poet Carl Sandberg once said that a politician should have three hats. One for throwing into the ring, one for talking through, and one for pulling rabbits out of if elected. Well it is rabbit-pulling time for Australia’s newly elected prime minister, Kevin Rudd, and the technology industry won’t stand for any broken promises on Australia’s broadband infrastructure.

Australia is one of the more innovative and fast adopting countries in the world regarding technology, but without a broadband infrastructure to back this, local market opportunities are always going to be restrained.
CRN online news is suggesting that delivering on that promise is going to be high on the Labor agenda (www.techpartner.news/?98425). Apparently implementing a national broadband network to deliver minimum speeds of 12 Mbps to 98 percent of Australians and improving broadband services for all Australians is top of Labor’s list.

Senator Stephen Conroy, the new Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (www.techpartner.news/?98327) and a member of cabinet in the new Rudd line-up said the newly elected government will also “be focusing on the roll out of digital television and radio and restoring media diversity within Australia”.

Conroy said his previous position as ‘Shadow Minister for Communications and Information Technology’ has helped prepare him for his new role.

His appointment is a significant step towards Rudd delivering on Labor’s broadband promises. Senator Conroy has worked closely with the industry to develop policies which he hopes will take “Australia’s communications sector into a new era of digital convergence”.

The Australian Computer Society has also thrown its weight behind Senator Conroy. ACS president Philip Argy welcomed the new Federal Government’s continued commitment to the ICT portfolio and applauded the creation of Australia’s first ministry focused on innovation.

“Stephen Conroy has demonstrated a keen interest in our ICT industry and has been very actively campaigning on key industry issues. We look forward to working with him and Kim Carr to implement many of the announced initiatives – in particular the plan to convert Australian secondary schools into digital schools, as well as the proposed National Broadband Network,” he said.

So it would seem Rudd has put everything in place to deliver on his broadband promises, however it is a politician’s promise we’re relying on here. For Australia and its IT channel to fulfil its potential, it needs that broadband infrastructure. The ramifications and backlash from not only the IT industry, but the tech-hungry public should be enough to ensure that Australia gets the coverage it deserves.

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