Daniel Featherstone and Apolline Kohen presented to the Australian Rangeland Society 18th Biennial Conference "Innovation in the Rangelands" in April, in Alice Springs.

1. Call for a
Remote Telecommunication Strategy
(RTS)
Broadband for the Bush Alliance
Authors: Daniel Featherstone –IRCA and Apolline Kohen –Ninti One
1

2. Benefits of Telecommunications
• Economic growth
• Improve health care
• Unlock universal education
• Improve Government delivery of services
• Improve social inclusion
• Encourage active citizenship
• Connect with family & friends
2

3. Australia
• Mobile broadband subscriptions have outnumbered fixed line 3:1
• 83% of Australians use the internet
• 7th in the world for use of social media
But
• 19% of homes have no internet connection
• 75% of remote Indigenous households have no internet connection -less
than in Sudan
• 6% don’t have a mobile phone
• 34% of SMEs don’t have a website
• 6% premises unable to access fixed broadband services
• 22% dissatisfied with service costs for internet
3

4. Broadband for the Bush alliance
Committed to the digital inclusion of remote and rural Australia
4

5. Remote Telecoms Strategy
• Expand mobile coverage in remote & rural areasMobile Coverage
• Flexible and appropriate infrastructure solutions, including
use of existing infrastructureInfrastructure
• Smart solutions for mobile device access & shared useLast Mile
• Affordability, an expanded USO, relevant access models,
Quality & AssuranceAccess Equity
• Digital Literacy, business skills, particularly Indigenous
inclusionCapability
• Government, industry and community working together for
regionally targeted solutionsPartnership Approach
5

6. Expanding mobile coverage
6
Recommendations:
More funding to expand mobile coverage
in remote areas.
Rational use of existing infrastructure and
micro-cell technology.
Joint Government and industry feasibility
assessment of providing lower cost
backhaul for cellular mobile to take
advantage of the two new NBN Satellites.

7. Infrastructure
7
Recommendations:
Assistance funding to connect remote
communities to the NBN where existing
legacy fibre are in close proximity.
Investment in remote region black spot
programs.
Development of an NBN satellite product
that allows WiFi sharing.

8. Capability
8
Recommendations:
Digital programs for remote Australians,
not just for NBN release sites.
Programs to improve online presence for
remote micro and small businesses.
Indigenous programs to build digital
literacy and engagement.

9. A Partnership Approach
Remote
Telecommunications
Strategy
Federal
Government
Regulators
State and Local
Government
NBN and
Telecom
Companies
Business and
Service
Providers
B4BA
and
Community
Stakeholders
9

10. Thank you
Visit our website:
http://broadbandforthebush.com.au/
Contact:
info@broadbandforthebush.com.au
Next B4BA Forum: 15-16 July in Darwin
10