Broadband should be treated as a utility - ACS
Broadband should be treated as a utility - ACS
The provision of broadband to Australian citizens should be viewed in the same way as water or electricity - as a basic and affordable right.
As the ACA (Australian Communications Authority) prepares to auction additional licences for broadband wireless access (BWA) into remote Australia, the ACS (Australian Computer Society) is calling for the government to guarantee that sufficient bandwidth will be withheld from commercial auction to ensure remote areas can afford to own and operate their own spectrum.
The ACS recommends that 20MHz of spectrum be offered to the local communities to ensure that all Australians - including communities with less than 30 residents - can have affordable access to the broadband services they require, and has outlined its concerns in a submission to the ACA. Furthermore, it intends to pursue the issue independently with the Minister for Communications, IT and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan.
"The ACS considers that development of infrastructure to support broadband services should be treated in the same way water, electricity, road and other infrastructure projects are delivered to rural and remote communities," said Edward Mandla, president of the ACS. "This means significant government involvement is required to ensure services are delivered in areas that may not, in the first instance, be economically viable."
Mandla asserts that the model for community radio and community television should be followed, whereby the communities themselves - under the guidance of their local councils - should be consulted on how their portion of spectrum is used and allocated.
“Remote communities need to have access to affordable spectrum to enable them to determine how its vital communications tools are utilised. Currently, there is a risk of spectrum hoarding, if the telecommunications giants use their financial might and purchase all the available BWA licences and simply allocate broadband services where the profit equation works in their favour.
“Rural and remote communities are vulnerable to missing out on affordable broadband access in the foreseeable future, as the dominant telecommunications operators see these areas as economically unviable investments. The ACS believes that all Australians have the right to affordable, accessible and relevant broadband services regardless of location."
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