A National Broadband Network can be delivered by more competitive usage of existing cable, copper and wireless technology platforms, plus a rollout of fibre according to local conditions, according to a new report.
A National Broadband Network can be delivered by more competitive usage of existing cable, copper and wireless technology platforms, plus a rollout of fibre according to local conditions, according to a new report.
The Committee for Economic Development of Australia report, Australia's Broadband Future: Four doors to greater competition, was released today at a sold-out conference in Sydney.
CEDA's chief executive David Byers said although public discussion on broadband dominated by a technologically exclusive debate about the rollout of a national optical fibre network, alternatives for delivering fast broadband and media access existed.
"This report is a reminder that the real question at stake is: how do we deliver the best information services to customers in differing situations across the country?" he said.
Australia's Broadband Future brings together independent national and international perspectives on how to deliver the best broadband network for Australia.
It contains six papers by international economists and policy analysts, who explore key policy options they believe will stimulate continuing innovation in broadband and media delivery.
Most authors argue there are distinct vertical synergies from owning a network and retail telecommunications business and that separation would create real challenges in the coordination of operational and investment decisions - particularly important given the scale and progressive rollout of the NBN.
Renowned US telecommunications expert, Jeffrey Eisenach, argues that the relatively deregulatory American approach to broadband policy has produced highly desirable results including high levels of investment and innovation.
"The US model is producing better overall results than in countries which continue to pursue mandatory unbundling and other highly regulatory approaches," Dr Eisenach said.
"Moreover, the advantages of the American model are likely to grow more pronounced over time."
Director of CEDA research, Michael Porter, leads the report by proposing that information services, whether data, text, voice, video or television, can be delivered at speed and volume through each of the four digital doors of telecommunications infrastructure - copper telephone wires, wireless, cable and fibre.
"As part of the final FTTN agreement now under tender, enhanced broadband service should come from the rollout of the new fibre-to-the-node or premise network in active competition with other telecoms infrastructures," Dr Porter said.
"There are strong and viable alternatives to the 'one-size-fits-all' fibre rollout. These alternatives focus on getting competitive and complementary value out of all available infrastructures.
"While fibre will eventually be the dominant technology, for over 80 per cent of households, cable is capable of delivering very fast speeds now, as the system is upgraded, and this means we can all get the benefits of a competition between fast cable and the new fibre systems.
"Ferraris may be faster, but Porsches and Mercedes are still great."
On the question of delivering services to users in remote areas, Dr Porter noted that coverage from 3G mobile platform was now 99 per cent and satellite access topping up to 100 per cent.
Dr Porter said: "Assistance where still necessary for remote users can be delivered through targeted subsidies, not via a mandated fibre-to-the-node rollout."
"There is no need for the government to subsidise the fibre roll out but rather to use the current infrastructure intelligently. This may save the government $4.7 billion."
Mr Byers said that broadband was appropriately positioned at the centre of the federal government's policy agenda.
