Good ship Broadband sets sail, but Australians still sitting on the dock, reveals ACBI, CSIRO report

AUSTRALIAN business is currently not prepared to take full advantage of the services afforded by next generation broadband, according to new research by the Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation (ACBI) and CSIRO's Digital Productivity and Services Flagship.


 

The ACBI and CSIRO report, Broadband Impact and Challenges, offers fresh insights and evidence to better understand the impact and opportunities offered by next generation broadband as well as advice on the necessary steps needed to mitigate the associated risks.

The report highlights the problem that most discussion on next generation broadband in Australia has centred on the timing of its rollout and its cost, rather than how to take advantage of its potential positive impacts.

The report was compiled using key findings from comprehensive community surveys, interviews with businesses and thought leaders as well as detailed analyses of existing data sources and peer-reviewed economic and social research.

"Although we are living in an increasingly 'Digital Age' full of smart devices, tele-working and social networks, one in five Australian adults still do not use the internet," said ACBI director Colin Griffith.

"Recognising that more and more government and business services are delivered online, a key focus of our research is to understand the behaviour and capabilities of adoption and use of next generation broadband.

"Across the board we have found that giving more people and businesses the skills and confidence to use these broadband services effectively will not only have a positive impact on their quality of life and business success, but also create broader economic benefits."

Interviews with industry and government stakeholders cited a lack of certainty about the future rollout of Australia's broadband infrastructure as being a significant barrier in helping them prepare for the future.

"Like other major Australian infrastructure projects such as the Snowy River Mountain Scheme and the Sydney Harbour Bridge Harbour Bridge, the debate around our national broadband infrastructure has predominately focused on cost and scale," Mr Griffith said.

Image
Colin Griffith.

"While these are important discussions, our research highlighted that government, industry and the community need to invest in capability building through training and investment programs if we are to fully realise the benefits of next generation broadband."

The report also includes a number of key insights to help government and businesses prepare for some of the potential threats which next generation broadband may bring.

"Along with its many benefits, next generation broadband will also create challenges for Australia, accelerating disruption to businesses, jobs and services," Mr Griffith said.

"If we are to mitigate the potential threats than active leadership at all levels of society and across different organisations is needed to ensure that there is strategic investment in capacity building and innovation to help safeguard our digital future.

"Ultimately, it is the capabilities of every person and business that will determine the overall level of benefit realised for Australia in terms of jobs, improvement in productivity and quality of life."

The Broadband Impact and Challenges report was officially launched to a group of industry and government stakeholders at an event in Sydney on Monday.

ACBI is a national research initiative connecting people to the benefits of broadband through innovative services. It is led by CSIRO in conjunction with National ICT Australia (NICTA), NBN Co with funding support from the NSW and Tasmanian Governments.

ACBI helps to create opportunities through broadband-enabled services, demonstrate their use in real world situations and evaluate their potential commercial and social value. ACBI is designed to connect people and business to the benefits of 'game-changing' services and applications enabled by next generation broadband technologies.

CSIRO's Digital Productivity and Services Flagship is a $48 million research initiative targeting productivity growth in Australia through frontier services innovation and by unlocking the value of a national broadband infrastructure.

For more information visit the Broadband Impact and Challenges report.

http://www.acbi.net.au/

http://www.csiro.au/

 

ends

Contact Us

 

PO Box 2144
MANSFIELD QLD 4122