Getting the NBN Infrastructure We Need

This article summarises the presentation given by the author at the TelSoc NBN Futures forum held in Melbourne on 31 July 2019. The author spoke in favour of retaining NBN Co in public ownership, at least for the medium term and until a long-term plan and evolution pathway has been established. Such a plan is needed to ensure that Australians have affordable access to world’s best broadband service and that delivers social and economic inclusion.

The NBN Futures Forum

On 31 July 2019, TelSoc held an NBN Futures Forum in Melbourne to outline possible future ownership options for Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN). The resulting conversation provided a useful insight into the range of social, economic, technical and policy issues that need to be considered in order to reach a balanced and properly informed view on the most appropriate future ownership model for the NBN. 

SafetyNet

This paper proposes a new vehicle, dubbed SafetyNet, for improving communications in rural and remote Australia. A wholesale mobile network using LTE in the 450 MHz spectrum band is proposed. SafetyNet would address any updated Universal Service Obligation, public safety network options and mobile roaming.

Public Wi-Fi

This article explores how free Wi-Fi services offered by cultural institutions and municipalities influence public spaces, and asks how such services can engender practices which promote the social good.

Stepping down and handing over

Some departing words from the Journal's Managing Director, Peter Gerrand, in stepping down from the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Telecommunications Journal of Australia and its successor, the Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, after 21 years in the job.

From Universal Service to Universal Communications

The policy of universal service must change. The 1975 world of a government-owned monopoly provider obligated to provide fixed line voice telephony has been replaced by the twenty-first century reality of Australians using fixed, mobile and text communications over a range of communications equipment and services provided by competitive providers. A new universal service must reflect those changed realities, and with it, the changed environment of a national broadband network, with competitive...

Interesting issues for an industry at a time of record growth

This editorial notes several key indicators of record growth in Australian telecommunications, as the backdrop to the second issue of this multidisciplinary policy Journal. The growth in social connectivity and 'big data', together with the rapid evolution of new infrastructure technologies, all pose interesting challenges for good policy making – and for keeping up with new developments