61/07

Monday 14 May 2007

Clever Networks - smart solutions for services to regional South Australia

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today announced $2.3 million in Australian Government funding for high speed broadband infrastructure and services for the regional centres of Berri, Murray Bridge and Port Pirie in South Australia

The funding will be provided to the South Australian Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure for their South Australia High Speed Broadband Infrastructure Project

“This project will enable high speed broadband connections from state government agencies in Adelaide to those in Berri, Murray Bridge and Port Pirie through a high speed broadband network allowing communities to have faster access to government services” Senator Coonan said.

The project will deliver around 15,000 metres of fibre optic cable in each targeted regional centre. Infrastructure roll-out for the project is scheduled to commence in July 2007. The formal launch of the network development is scheduled to occur in December 2008.

Examples of benefits of this project include:

• Aboriginal Health Clinics in regional centres in South Australia will be provided with video link equipment for teleconferencing, helping medical workers deliver better health care to Indigenous people.
• Allowing key state agencies to access information in the event of an emergency if other networks are unavailable and to exchange image and spatial data during emergency incidents, such as bushfires.
• A range of video-based communications services such as distance education through teleconferencing and virtual health care.
• A fibre link to South Australia’s major prison complex at Murray Bridge will help the courts conduct more secure pre-sentence hearings to increase efficiency and limit prisoner movement.

“At present, these South Australian regional centres do not have the same level of broadband infrastructure and connectivity that Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta enjoy, who have already benefited from Australian Government funding through the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund program.

“Today’s funding announcement will go a long way to ensure all SA regional centres have access to high-speed broadband.”

Clever Networks is a $113 million Australian Government program that will see smart solutions to improve delivery of services in regional, rural and remote Australia through innovative broadband projects.

More information about Clever Networks is available at www.dcita.gov.au/clevernetworks