#ausvotes

Greens National Broadband Policy

• Summary

  As the privatisation of Telstra has shown, essential telecommunications infrastructure should be publicly owned in order to protect the public interest. The value of the NBN is not in its speed but the fact that 25-30% of the country will be free of reliance on non-renewable resource industries and will be connected to the national and international network. The economic prosperity this brings can hardly be measured into the future, but governments cannot implement social policies within a digital environment unless everyone is included. As a matter of public interest, the Greens support the proposed NBN of the ALP.

  
  

  More

  The Greens foresee a media sector that embraces digital technology. They strongly support freedom of the press, and affordable telecommunications access by all to media and communications as the cornerstone of a democratic society. They advocate affordable, equitable, and reliable high speed internet connections for all Australians. Net neutrality and the maintenance of an open internet are essential to encourage and support entrepreneurial efforts by consumers and small business, and to bring about the next generation of innovation to the internet.

  
  

  The Greens support the roll out of the National Broadband Network that is proposed by the ALP. Given such a large amount of public funds are to be utilised in this implementation; the Greens have investigated the issue and find it in the public interest.

  
  

  Today for most Australians a great deal of ordinary transactions are performed exclusively online, out of necessity or choice. The internet is already a matter of social inclusion. As social and commercial interaction becomes more confined to the online environment, this feature of our society will become far more relevant to almost 20% of Australians who do not have access to the internet because they do not have a computer. Additionally, as government services and operations also defer to the online environment, policies and programs cannot be implemented for the community until all Australians are able to receive their benefit.

  
  

  Given these facts the value of the NBN is not in its speed, but in the fact that 25-30% of Australian homes will be able to receive services they have never been able to enjoy previously and become connected to the outside world. Some of these benefits will be able to be received even if households have not entered into a retail broadband agreement. By providing a rapid telecommunications service like the NBN, remote communities can diversify their local economy and reduce their reliance on mining and non-renewable resources.

  
  

  The Greens strongly believe in our nation’s future being in areas other than mining, and that we ought to realign our vision for the future to rely on other potential than a mining boom in regional areas. There remains a certain irony that the NBN involves repurchasing Telstra; an asset that ought not to have been privatised and allowed to operate a national monopoly. Therefore the Greens are adamant that the NBN must remain in public ownership so as the Telstra experience is not repeated.

  
  

  While it still requires approval from the ACCC, Telstra shareholders and parliament, the Greens support the agreement in principle that has been reached between the government and Telstra in respect of the NBN. With this agreement in operation there will be no duplication of resources with wholesale networks competing in what is a natural monopoly.

  
  

  As to the huge costs of the NBN, some are easily defined, but estimating the public benefit of bringing rapid broadband to almost the entire nation and then monetising it for a cost benefit analysis is exceptionally difficult to accomplish.