1. COVID-19 response - fast, affordable, and reliable internet. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a new era in many Australians' relationship with technology. There was a growing reliance on digital services and an unprecedented shift to digital channels for interaction. It is essential Australia's digital infrastructure is built to be resilient to ensure everyone can access fast, affordable and reliable internet.
2. Service resilience - a comprehensive response to natural disasters. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia experienced a devastating range of natural disasters across 2019 and 2020. Each emergency impacted the reliability of telecommunications services, underlining the need for more resilient networks and comprehensive redundancy options.
3. Digital inclusion - access for all Australians. Across every part of society, the ability to access, afford and use digital services is now essential for full participation. However, there is still a digital divide across demographics, and many Australians risk being left behind because they are not online. Australia needs a comprehensive roadmap to improve digital inclusion across society.
4. Uniform minimal service levels - delivered to end customers. Major improvements in the reach, speed and reliability of the NBN kept Australia connected during the pandemic. Despite significant improvements, a small number of NBN users on specific access technologies such as Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fixed Wireless (FW) still have issues with slower data speeds. These end customers require prioritised upgrades with clear dates to provide consistent service and ensure uniform minimal service levels.
5. Regional Australia - a sustainable investment model. Regional and remote Australians have experienced significant investment and improvements to the coverage, speed and reliability of both mobile and fixed telecommunications. The Australian Government has invested significantly in areas where private sector network growth is inhibited by having no commercial business case. With the growing importance of telecommunications and the vast expanse of land involved, it is vital to find a sustainable model for ongoing investment in networks and assets for regional Australia to provide coverage to growing communities where and when it is needed.
6. Enabling the future - 5G, smart cities and IoT. Emerging technologies such as 5G, smart cities and the IoT are already delivering significant benefits to communities, businesses and local economies. To ensure the potential of these groundbreaking technologies is fully enabled, the Australian Government needs to improve alignment across the industry, open a public dialogue about the growing need for technology, and tackle the misinformation that risks its acceptance.
7. Privacy and risk - protecting the consumer. Significant business opportunities are emerging from highly advanced computing, analytics and data processing methods. However, these technologies also have inherent risks such as the misuse of personal data and compromised privacy. Improved consumer protections, clearer legislation and voluntary codes of practice across industry are required to ensure personal data and privacy is protected.