Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Collins for her question. Delivering high-quality telecommunications services to consumers, small businesses, hospitals and schools right across Australia, including those in rural and regional Australia, is a priority for the Rudd government. Ultimately the NBN will deliver high-speed broadband services to all Australians no matter where they live or work. It will provide world-class fibre-to-the-premise technology delivering speeds of 100 meg to 90 per cent of homes and businesses, including many in regional areas. The remaining 10 per cent will have access to state-of-the-art, next-generation wireless and satellite services that will be capable of delivering Labor’s election commitment of 12-meg speeds.

However, the government recognises that during the transition to the NBN rollout the delivery of telecommunications in many areas, especially regional Australia, needs to be dramatically improved. We recognise that Australians in rural and regional areas potentially have the most to gain from high-speed broadband. It will help overcome the array of issues associated with the tyranny of distance. That is why we have taken decisive steps to improve competition, choice, affordability and service quality in regional Australia as we move to the NBN. On 1 July this year we announced the first six priority locations that will receive investment under the $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program. These are: Geraldton, in WA; Darwin, in the Northern Territory; Emerald and Longreach, in Queensland; Broken Hill, in New South Wales; Victor Harbor, in South Australia; and the South-West Gippsland region, in Victoria. (Time expired)