7 Telecommunications and digital
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What you will read in this chapter
• Reform 7.1: Improving the resilience of Australia's telecommunications - What needs to be done to create a robust digital infrastructure that can cope with risk and sudden change. This reform considers learnings from the bushfire season of 2019-2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Reform 7.2: Putting customers at the heart of digital infrastructure - How to build infrastructure that offers greater levels of equity, value and quality to every Australian. This reform considers the digital inclusion gap, the NBN and the considerable investment needed to improve regional mobile coverage.
• Reform 7.3: Enabling Australia's digital future - This reform examines how Australia can seize the existing digital opportunity and fully enable a new generation of technology. It also considers the implications of the sustainable use of data as advanced computing continues to innovate.
| Key messages • As telecommunications and digital services continue to develop, they are playing an increasingly important role in Australians' everyday lives. As well as keeping people connected, the national digital infrastructure supports Australia's economy, health system, education, productivity and ability to innovate. • The COVID-19 pandemic marked a new era in people's relationship with technology. There was a growing reliance on digital services and a huge shift from face-to-face to digital interaction. Australia's digital infrastructure must be resilient enough to ensure all Australians can get fast, affordable and reliable internet. • Before COVID-19 emerged, Australia experienced devastating natural disasters. In 2019 and 2020, many communities were affected by floods and one of the worst bushfire seasons on record. Each emergency made telecommunications services more essential, and sometimes less reliable. These risks underline the need for more resilient networks and comprehensive back-up options. • Being able to access, afford and use digital services is now essential for full participation in society, employment prospects and preserving mental health. However, there is a digital divide, with many Australian households still not effectively online.1 The Digital Business Plan, which was published by the Australian Government in September 20202, should be prioritised as a vehicle for delivering a national digital strategy and roadmap to make sure every Australian is included. • The reach, speed and reliability of Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) have improved greatly, and it kept Australia connected during the pandemic. Despite these improvements, a small number of NBN users on specific access technologies, such as Fibre to the Node and Fixed Wireless, still experience slower data speeds. NBN Co should continue to prioritise actions that deliver uniform minimum service levels to end customers. • The coverage, speed and reliability of mobile and fixed telecommunications in regional and remote Australia have improved because of government subsidies for regional commercial networks. Many regional sites that cover low- density areas are simply not commercially viable and require partnerships and subsidies to bring a new site online, but the future of regional mobile funding requires reform. The growing importance of telecommunications and sheer size of Australia make it vital to find a sustainable regional investment model that supports wider terrestrial mobile coverage. • Many Australian communities, businesses and local economies already benefit from emerging technologies such as 5G, smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT). To make the most of these opportunities, there needs to be more awareness of the beneficial use cases, greater investment and closer cooperation between standards bodies, industry and government. |
