Victoria Suffering from Broadband Limitations
Victoria Suffering from Broadband Limitations
March 9, 2007: The Victoria State Government says the Federal Government is holding back Victorian prosperity by failing to deliver adequate broadband access.
Tim Holding, Victorian Minister for Information Communication Technology, says the Howard Government has failed to meet the primary challenge of the communication age; widespread access to high speed broadband.
The comments come just days after the Federal Minster for Communication, IT and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, made a pledge to deliver a $162.5 million Australian Broadband Guarantee. It’s a promise the Government says, will enable Australians to access broadband services regardless of where they live.
According to Holding, this Federal pledge approaches the problem at dial-up speed, something that will by no means match the communication challenges ahead.
“Broadband services in Australian cities are second rate by world standards, while regional Victoria is suffering from a third world service,” says Holding.
Holding’s makes his statements by citing a recent report from the Victorian Department of Infrastructure. Through economic modelling the report concludes that by 2015, an IT industry equipped with 21st Century broadband has the potential to add $15 billion to Victoria’s Gross State Product. Such a figure would create 153,000 new jobs a long the way.
For the Victorian Government, the matter comes down to the definition of ‘Broadband.’ While Australia defines a broadband access speed as equal to or greater than 256 kilobits per second, other contracts don’t even consider it broadband until it hits minimum speeds that can be quoted in megabits.
“This announcement is just a stop-gap in an election year. It still doesn’t offer a sustainable solution to the problem,” says Holding.
The Bracks Government has published a report detailing what it calls, a lack of services facing Victorians. Details include findings that 15 percent fewer regional Victorians have broadband access compared to metropolitan areas.