154/04
10 November 2004

North west NSW invited to take advantage of broadband opportunities

A broadband briefing will be held in Moree today to give people living in north west NSW the chance to find out more about broadband and Government assistance available in their local area, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, said today.

The briefing is one of a series being held around the country and will give Moree businesses, community members and government organisations the opportunity to hear about Australian Government initiatives introduced to improve broadband access and affordability in rural, regional and remote Australia.

"The regional briefing series will let local communities know about opportunities for accessing more affordable broadband services, and feedback given in the briefings will help shape future Government broadband initiatives," Senator Coonan said.

Presentations at each briefing will focus on initiatives under the National Broadband Strategy including the Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS), Demand Aggregation Brokers and the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund.

"Under the National Broadband Strategy the Australian Government has set aside $142.8 million to improve broadband services in regional, rural and remote Australia," Senator Coonan said.

"More than 20 organisations around the country have been successful in accessing funding under these programs."

"People living in Moree can already benefit from services offered by HIBIS registered Internet service providers Regional Broadband Services, eSat, New Sat, BorderNET, Australian Private Networks, Telstra and Optus."

The $107.8 million HiBIS program was set up to improve access to broadband services and make broadband more affordable for Australians living outside metropolitan areas.

HiBIS provides a one-off payment to service providers for each eligible customer they supply with higher bandwidth services. This helps providers supply services at a price comparable with those offered in larger cities.

"By visiting Moree and other towns around Australia, we are giving local communities an opportunity to hear about these initiatives, ask questions and receive immediate answers," Senator Coonan said.

"Our main focus for the briefings is to ensure people walk away with a thorough understanding of the programs and how they work to provide support to regional communities."

For further information on the National Broadband Strategy and other Australian Government initiatives visit www.dcita.gov.au or www.telinfo.gov.au.

Media Contact:  Jane McMillan  0438 690 305