120/05
14 October 2005

Networking the Nation evaluation—Connecting more Australians

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today released an evaluation of the $320 million Networking the Nation program showing it helped connect Australians in rural, regional and remote Australia by funding more than 720 communications projects.

“Networking the Nation helped Australians bridge the technology gap between the city and the bush,” Senator Coonan said.

“In the seven years to 2004, Networking the Nation programs helped improve access to terrestrial mobile phone service for non-metropolitan Australians – up from 83.5 to 94.5 per cent. More than two million people across Australia also used NTN-funded Internet access points and nearly one million received training through NTN-funded facilities.”

“Thanks to various programs funded under NTN, Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas are now largely Internet-literate and indeed, some services, such as videoconferencing, are now used more in the bush than in the city.”

Networking the Nation programs have also made significant improvements to infrastructure levels and improved service provision in regional Australia. Initiatives such as local call Internet access and improvements to mobile phone service have ensured that regional, rural and remote area telecommunications haven’t missed out on the benefits of technology.

The Networking the Nation evaluation report is in four parts. The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts prepared a report identifying the social and economic impacts of the program.

The second report looks at the tangible assets and services Networking the Nation has delivered to regional, rural and remote communities and an efficiency review was prepared by an external consultant.

The third part of the evaluation is an efficiency review prepared by an external consultant, who found much to praise about the program, favourably comparing its administrative processes with Australian National Audit Office requirements.

The final part of the assessment drew together the elements of the first three reports to produce a Lessons Learnt report.

“This part of the evaluation work is already producing results,” Senator Coonan said.

“The experience of running the Networking the Nation program has already helped shape the development of regional communications programs and will be beneficial to the Connect Australia initiatives.”

The Networking the Nation evaluation reports are available online at www.dcita.gov.au