Broadband public policy project overview

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Three strategies underpin this research investigation:

1. To keep well abreast of the complex public policy debates about the future of high speed broadband in Australia and to be actively involved in forums where the research is used to inform policy and practice.
2. Given the current irreconcilable bottlenecks in Australian telecommunications policy, particularly related to broadband, fruitful opportunities arise from examining those countries that have successfully implemented national broadband policies. Six countries are being investigated – Norway, the UK, Canada, France and either South Korea or Japan. The focus here is on broadband services that have been successfully implemented in those countries and the possible applicability and lessons for Australia.
3. To contribute, where possible and appropriate, to an overarching national innovation approach as developed by the CCI.

This project draws upon comparative policy analysis of the national broadband systems of several countries. It examines particular initiatives that appear to have succeeded and looks at which systems have failed, and why. During the course of the project the Australian broadband policy is closely examined, but the other focus of the project is to examine other models with a view to identifying potential lessons for Australia in the experience of other countries. Such comparative studies will contribute to the development of a feasible and valuable national broadband policy model which will ultimately be offered as the major output of the project. The overarching framework is centred on notions about innovation. This involves analysing initiatives at different levels – including government initiatives, creative national policies, successful system operators and suppliers, new applications and services and initiatives with community consultation.

The issues are:
1. What is the evidence of success? (i.e., reach of broadband networks, number of subscribers, how the service is used.)
2. How have problems been overcome? (i.e., cost of access, forms of infrastructure (dial-up, ADSL, cable), speed and download limitations.)
3. Who designed the policy?
4. Is fostering user-led innovation integral to public policy or best left entirely to individual or group initiative?
5. How might particular best practices in these countries transfer to a national broadband policy for Australia?
6. What are the leading edge applications and services that have emerged in these countries, how and why?