Why do we need broadband?
High speed, robust and ubiquitous broadband infrastructure is a prerequisite for a prosperous and competitive digital economy. Broadband is essential infrastructure for any country or business that aspires to competitive advantage in today’s economy.
High-speed
Broadband provides the capacity to deliver high-level products and services to the widest possible marketplace; it enables real-time, innovative content ranging from media to healthcare.
Universal
Broadband allows the participation of every business across the nation, and provides access to services for the entire population, every sector of the marketplace and every region of the country. It allows for the participation of every element of society and every level of the economy. A critical mass of community and consumer engagement is essential to the success of the digital economy in Australia.
What about the NBN?
Is it the right plan?
AIIA supports any proven
approach to sustainable high speed broadband, however AIIA believes that a
fibre to the premises network, augmented by wireless and satellite provides the
best possible opportunity to ensure long-term economic growth.
Other
approaches to broadband currently put forward do not maximise the long-term
economic growth potential that a fibre-based system will enable. Fibre is
massively scalable – well beyond any current or envisaged wireless
technologies, is robust and is virtually indestructible making it a sound
long-term investment. This cannot be said for any current wireless technologies
Can it deliver what we need?
Initial planned speeds to be offered
over fibre are just that – initial speeds. AIIA believes that the fibre
approach will be easily enhanced over many decades thus providing a long-term
sound economic investment at a time when the country can afford the investment
due to the short-term benefit of the resources boom.
Investment in the
fibre network will provide a total community and business benefit well above
that in any business case by means of the enablement of innovative,
high-bandwidth connecting applications and the ability of people to communicate
and connect well beyond current levels.
Why not wait?
Delaying rollout, or delaying the decision
making on a fibre rollout is not supported by the AIIA because the evidence
from here and overseas is already clear: ICT does indeed enable a massive
portion of economic growth, and that proportion greatlyincreases
wherever massively high speed connectivity is available to link people,
business, government and community. Thinking in terms of what can be done with
today’s applications is unsound.
History has shown us repeatedly that new
ideas, new applications and new capabilities will rapidly emerge to take
advantage of the high bandwidth and low latency that only fibre can
provide. We must make the best long-term investment today - that is why
the AIIA supports the NBN initiative.
Print to Page