NBN and decentralisation

[Jovial Monk]

Whirlpool thread: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-re ... 07707&p=12

Talking about whether the NBN will lead to a move to the regions, to decentralisation. They quote a French report saying fast physical transport (road/rail) is what leads to decentralisation.

Does that apply to Australia? Do they have our dreadful, services-deprived outer suburbs? Don’t think so.

Someone else pointed out a municipality provided fast (not NBN fast but fast) internet but had only minor success luring people to its municipality, not a good omen I guess.

I am optimistic that the NBN will lead to a bit of an exodus from outer suburbs to areas offering much better quality of life—the sheer bandwidth will allow much better communications, a “virtual watercooler” say, virtual conferences with very high definition video. Collaboration software will grow to incorporate this.

But the Fed & State govts will need to their bit. There are rail corridors intrastate here in SA even tho few of these still have trains running on them. Will cost $$$ for fast rail (say 200Kph rail.)

What do you think?

[Jovial Monk]

Conroy launches Digital Economy Strategy

Envisions productivity, social gains from broadband connectivity.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has launched a Digital Economy Strategy aimed at leveraging the National Broadband Network to drive “digital productivity”.

The strategy comprised eight goals, intended to create one of the “world’s leading digital economies” by 2020. The goals were:

To rank in the top five OECD countries for households with broadband connectivity, expected to enable telecommuting, remote work and study opportunities, information gathering, price and product discovery and access to health services.

The Government has committed $23.8 million to a Digital Communications initiative and $10.4 million to extend its Broadband for Seniors program to drive use of the NBN.

To rank in the top five OECD countries for how businesses and not-for-profit organisations use online opportunities to drive productivity improvements, expand their customer base and create jobs.

The Government has pledged $12.4 million to a Digital Enterprise outreach program for organisations in the 40 first and second release NBN sites.

For “the majority” of households and organisations to have access to smart technology for managing their energy use.

To provide individual e-health records to “high priority customers” such as the elderly, mothers, babies, chronic disease sufferers and their carers, and for a quarter of all specialists to be delivering telehealth consultations to remote patients in accordance with the National E-health Strategy.

To provide connectivity to Australian schools, TAFEs, universities and higher education institutions and facilitate the development of flexible and online, virtual learning opportunities.

The Government has spent more than $2.4 billion on the Digital Education Revolution for secondary schools, and plans to establish a $27.2 million Education and Skills program and tele-education trial.

To double Australia’s level of teleworking, so that at least 12 percent of employees report having a teleworking arrangement with their employer.

For four out of five Australians to choose to engage with the government online to reduce costs and improve communication.

To increase digital engagement in regional Australia, expected to raise regional output and facilitate access to goods, services, education and employment opportunities.
The 68-page strategy document (pdf), launched at the CeBIT conference in Sydney today, called for action by “all levels of governments, industry and the community as a whole”.

Networking vendor Cisco, industry group AIIA, the Australian Computer Society and the Communications Alliance welcomed the strategy’s eight goals toda

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/259104,co ... ategy.aspx

[sprintcyclist]

you'll be able to tell your 2nd bitch quicker

[Jovial Monk]

Bartlett: Get hands dirty on NBN strategy

Winners won't just be those who get fibre first.

Former Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett has urged Australia's "patchwork" of state governments to "get politics out of the NBN", focusing instead the network's role in economic and community renewal in regional centres.

Speaking at the CeBIT conference in Sydney, Bartlett said that selling the potential of the NBN should not be left to Canberra.

"I'm not convinced a Sydney marketing or advertising company knows how to talk to the homes of Smithton or Armidale frankly on what the NBN means to them," he said.

"Running a centralised marketing campaign for the NBN won't engage homes. We have to engage them with local content and local stories.

"We've got to get our hands dirty."

Bartlett urged local community leaders such as mayors, local government general managers, and town/shire regional economic groups to create digital strategies ahead of NBN Co's arrival.

"The winners - those who get the most potential out of the NBN - will not be those [communities] who are cabled first," Bartlett said.

"The winners will be those who get prepared with a digital strategy, a broadband strategy, that underpins renewal in every aspect of their society.

"Even if the NBN doesn't arrive until 2014 now is the time for local leadership to emerge."

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/259089,ba ... ategy.aspx

The commonwealth government is working on strategies to get the most out of the NBN and that is really what is needed. But state govt and local councils should do the same. To a large extent the lack of this govt planning/strategising is why S Korea and Japan have not got as much as they could out of their superfast broadband networks.

[Jovial Monk]

I see the homo pseudochristian has arrived and made one of his typical empty, worthless contributions.

[Aussie]

I see the homo pseudochristian has arrived and made one of his typical empty, worthless contributions.

No shit, Sherlock.

Back to the Topic, please.

[Jovial Monk]

Councils win free NBN terminals

Minister Conroy announces $23.5m investment.

The Australian Government has agreed to fund community internet hubs in first and second release National Broadband Network (NBN) sites to allow residents to trial services.

In February, the Hastings-Port Macquarie Council in northern NSW called for such facilities to be funded to raise “knowledge, awareness and access” to NBN-enabled services.

The Port Macquarie-Hastings council area falls within Lyne, the Federal electorate held by Independent MP Rob Oakeshott, a strong advocate for the NBN.

Today, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy told the CeBIT conference in Sydney that the Government would allocate $23.5 million toward the building of 'Digital Communities Hubs' in the 40 first and second release sites.

Those facilities would house networked terminals for residents to experience the NBN, even if they chose not to pay for an NBN service at home.

Conroy stressed that only a Government-funded NBN could tackle “digital exclusion” felt by 26 percent of Australians, particularly those in regional areas.

Alternate plans to allow the public sector to fund Australia’s broadband future would only see investment land in profitable urban areas, he said.

Hasting Council's general manager Andrew Roach had noted in submissions to the Government that "uninformed, untrained and, in some cases, an unmotivated market will generally have a low demand for NBN, irrespective of the quality of the technology".

http://www.itnews.com.au/News/259056,co ... inals.aspx

So if more State and local govts can put aside party lines and parochialism the NBN will be a real enabler from the start, boosting our economy directly and indirectly. Now for those intrastate 200kph fast trains! Also interstate fast rail—ridiculous the amount of interstate freight being shipped via semitrailers! With peak oil, with global warming a lot more energy efficiency is a necessity!

A few nice big nuke power plants along the S coast of Oz freight, travel can be via electricity-powered rail.

[Jovial Monk]

Remember the “internet of things” I mentioned a few days ago?

Car-to-car communication trialled in SA

New smart technology that allows cars to talk to each other and avoid crashes will be trialled in South Australia.

Cohda Wireless, which manufactures the dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) technology, said a small wireless box provided vehicles with 360-degree awareness.

"Essentially, it [DSRC] allows cars to talk to each and exchange information about their position and speed they are heading," chief executive Paul Gray told reporters in Adelaide last week.

"It then allows on-board systems to access the threat of other vehicles and bubble up [audio] warnings to the drivers."

SA Road Safety Minister Tom Kenyon said the device, which combines GPS and wireless technology, was revolutionary.

"This is a potential silver bullet in the fight against road deaths in this country," he told reporters.

Kenyon said it may help prevent tragedies such as the February death of an Adelaide mother of five killed by an Italian tourist who crashed into her while driving on the wrong side of the road.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/car-to-car-comm ... 315888.htm

With high bandwidth fibre I can see low-power wireless antenna along main roads, incl rural, broadcasting information to the cars on board systems re gridlock (due to accidents etc) and suggest alternate routes, advise of emergency services vehicles coming up so cars free up a lane, saving minutes per Km for ambulance etc. Eventually even directly controlling car speed etc. Would allow much more accurate GPS! Smoother traffic flow at peak hour, a lot less accidents etc.