#ausvotes

Coalition National Broadband Policy

• Summary

  The Coalition has a considerably cheaper alternative to the ALP’s $43bn NBN. It will cost a mere $6.5bn and will provide the same 100% rapid broadband service of the NBN by 2016. The cost is reduced as the government will provide initial funding, and then withdraw its investment and use the private sector to fund, build and maintain the network under the supervision of a Commission. The Coalitions plan uses a combination of optical fibre, wireless DSL and satellite technology. Each of these components will reduce the cost of the others to achieve the same speeds of 12MBPS-100MBPS, but also allowing for advances in technology to be incorporated in the future. Priority will be given to those already underserviced.

  
  

  More

  Due to the evolving nature of the broadband market and technology, demand for wireless technology and the advances it has made in speed delivery is rising dramatically. 25% of Australians access the internet through mobile or fixed wireless networks that now reach 21-42MBPS, and this will soon reach 84MBPS. Given this demand, the Coalition advocates a fast and reliable broadband service that uses a mixture of optical fibre, wireless DSL and satellite technology. Using Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC), DSL and fixed wireless technology, 97% of households will be able to achieve speeds of 12MBPS- 100MBP. While remaining affordable at approximately $6.5bn, the scheme will address the issues of increased productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of the Australian economy into the future.

  
  

  The main feature differentiating the Coalitions broadband policy is that it will be implemented within the private sector. Government will be involved to the extent of encouraging competition with its initial investments and provisions, and ensuring service delivery to Australians.

  
  

  A National Broadband Commission will design and manage a selection process to obtain the most favourable private sector providers to roll out the programme. A National Broadband Database of premises engaged will be maintained by the Commission to record the progress made during the rollout. This information will be publicly available. Priority will be given to areas that are underserved by broadband presently; especially those in remote rural and regional areas. Immediately, funding will be made available to enable a Fixed Broadband Optimisation programme to fill the immediate gaps in service and allow a large number of households to receive a DSL or high speed service.

  
  

  Funding will be provided to build new fixed wireless networks in rural and remote Australia, and by 2016 97% of Australia will have high speed access to broadband using a combination of DSL, fixed wireless and HFC. The Coalition will ensure that all households will be able to access broadband services at relatively uniform prices across the nation. The remaining 3% of Australians will receive satellite broadband service.

  
  

  A National Network of new optical fibre will be implemented to form an optical fibre backbone across the country, and freeing the current bottleneck by 2017. This will allow two lanes of backhaul fibre (the long haul connection from a country town to a capital city over the transmission network) that will be accessible by any service provider to deliver multi technology broadband. As backhaul cost is the major barrier to broadband services in Australia, this backhaul network will be used to encourage other providers and indeed private sector investment, to stimulate demand for broadband services, and generate an extension in fibre networks. Further, fixed wireless networks and other technologies will greatly reduce the bottleneck and reduce costs of the backhaul process.

  
  

  Legislation will ensure that the ACCC is empowered to set broadband pricing to foster competition within the industry. Consumers will be protected by added safeguards in service obligations to be discharged by providers.