Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McGauran for that very pertinent question. The fact that Australia ranks in the top five OECD countries for growth in broadband take-up demonstrates the value that Australian consumers place on broadband. Australian consumers are indeed a savvy lot. That has been proven with the explosion in mobile phone take-up a number of years ago. If they can see a valid use for new technology at an attractive price then they adopt it in droves. The government does recognise the strong consumer and business demand for improved broadband. That is why we have invested more than $3 billion in Connect Australia and the Communications Fund package to ensure that Australia can become a world leader in effective broadband use.

I also currently have under development a broadband blueprint which will be a uniquely Australian approach to encouraging broadband infrastructure investment in this country. The broadband blueprint will be a national framework for the rollout of next generation infrastructure for all parts of Australia, by both governments and the private sector. The blueprint will ensure that the rollout of next generation broadband is coordinated across jurisdictions with clearly delineated roles for state, territory and local governments that meet the needs of end users. This is a far-reaching and coordinated approach which will mark Australia as a world leader in the effective use of broadband.