Senator the Hon Helen Coonan was Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts from 18 July 2004 to 3 December 2007. This site is available for archival purposes only.

Senator Stephen Conroy is the current Minister for the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

35/07 Thursday 12 April 2007

Certainty for regional broadband projects

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today released further information regarding the operation of the Australian Broadband Guarantee.

“These arrangements will give broadband providers clarity regarding the new program and should speed up the rollout of further high speed broadband to consumers to complement the upcoming $600 million Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program,” Senator Coonan said.

Details include:

Providers that have built broadband infrastructure under the Broadband Connect incentive program but have not claimed subsidies for connecting customers under that program will be able to apply to register that infrastructure under both the transitional period (2 April 2007– 30 June 2007) and the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program (1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008). This creates an incentive for providers in these circumstances to immediately participate in the Australian Broadband Guarantee rather than waiting for the full program. This should mean that consumers in these areas will receive a wider choice of broadband services sooner. It will also allow further time for providers to recoup their investment on new networks.
The incentive payment for non-ADSL broadband services will be increased from $1100 to $2750 for Providers who build new infrastructure in areas that will not be covered by projects funded under the Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program.

Further details of the arrangements are included in the attached industry fact sheet. Full details will be made available in the coming weeks with the release of the full Australian Broadband Guarantee Guidelines and amendments to the transitional period Guidelines.

“These new provisions ensure that consumers are not disadvantaged as a result of new broadband networks being caught between the two phases of the Australian Broadband Guarantee,” Senator Coonan said.

“We particularly wanted to ensure that a number of important projects in South Australia were properly accommodated under the program.”

Senator Coonan confirmed that projects in the Coorong Region, the Yorke Peninsula and the Barossa & Light Region would be eligible to apply for funding under the Australian Broadband Guarantee.

Other regional projects in areas that will not be covered by the Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program are likely to benefit from the higher subsidies for wireless broadband.

Media Contact: Fiona Telford 02 6277 7480

Australian Broadband Guarantee

Industry fact sheet

When will guidelines for the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program be released?

Guidelines for the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program are expected to be released towards the end of April.

When can I apply to be registered under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program?

Interested providers can apply for registration under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program once the guidelines are released towards the end of April 2007.

Will my newly installed infrastructure be eligible for the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program if it is registered under the transitional program?

Under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program, Providers that have new broadband infrastructure relating to service areas registered under the Broadband Connect incentive program but had not received any incentive payments for connecting customers in these services areas, can apply to register these service areas under both the transitional period (2 April 2007– 30 June 2007) and the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program (1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008).

I have existing broadband infrastructure and made my first claim for a subsidy payment under the Broadband Connect program prior to 1 January 2007, is this infrastructure eligible under the Australian Broadband Guarantee program?

Any existing infrastructure where a provider has claimed incentive payment for customers connected under Broadband Connect before 1 January 2007 will not be eligible under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program.

However, where circumstances exist that delayed customers being connected before the Broadband Connect incentive program ended, providers can apply to have this infrastructure included under the Australian Broadband Guarantee (transitional period). The inclusion of these areas under the transitional period is at DCITA’s discretion and each area will be assessed on a case by case basis.

What is the level of incentive payment available under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program?

The level of incentive payment that is available under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee is the same as for the transitional period.

$1100 (incl. GST) for terrestrial services; and
$2750 (incl. GST) for satellite services and for non-ADSL terrestrial services in registered areas not covered by projects funded under the Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program.

How are Metro Broadband Connect service areas treated under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program?

Under the full Australian Broadband Guarantee program, providers can apply to re-register Metropolitan Broadband Connect service areas that were previously registered under the Australian Broadband Guarantee (Transitional Period). However, the infrastructure sites (eg. a wireless tower position) will be subject to the exclusivity provisions of the full program Guidelines.