84/07
Wednesday 20 June 2007

WiMAX technology supported worldwide

“With the rollout of a new high speed broadband network, Australians will soon be able to access speeds and technology solutions that are quite literally, leading the world,” Senator the Hon Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts said today.

“WiMAX is a proven technology that is already supplying high speed broadband in many countries around the world, including the United States, Canada, Denmark, Austria, South Africa, United Kingdom and India.

“Just one example is in the United States, where Sprint, their third largest mobile carrier, is investing $3 billion in a national WiMAX network that will cover 100 million people when it is completed by the end of 2008.”

“Unlike Labor, which is running with a plan so light on detail that they have only provided a press release to back up their claims 89 days after Mr Rudd launched his broadband plan, the Government’s broadband network is a technology solution recommended by industry, backed by independent experts and includes a combination of fibre, DSL and WiMAX wireless broadband.

“In contrast, Labor has again fallen into the trap of picking a proposal without any technical backing just like they did when they tried to mandate a 40kpbs dial-up internet in 2004 (which is over 100 times slower that what Australia Connected will deliver) and when they sought to shut-down the analogue mobile network without any plan for regional and rural Australians.

“Labor has no credibility when it comes to communications technology and even their Shadow Cabinet freely admits their failure to do the policy hard yards. Labor’s Shadow Defence Minister, Mr Joel Fitzgibbon said yesterday in an interview at Parliament House, in relation to Labor’s broadband proposal that, ‘we haven’t…don’t have the technical backing to make those final conclusions.’

“Labor’s plan has no detail, no costings, no coverage maps and as we now know from one of their own Shadow Cabinet Ministers, no technical backing.

“At best, Labor’s plan will only reach around 75 per cent of Australians, leaving a quarter of all Australians without access to high speed broadband services.

“We are talking about more than three million households and small businesses in regional and rural Australia being left without any sort of high speed broadband yet with sad irony, the Labor Party will have robbed the bush via the $2 billion Communications Fund to pay for broadband in the capital cities where the commercial sector is prepared to roll out without taxpayer funds.

“On every score, Labor’s broadband plan just doesn’t add up.

“I again repeat my clear challenge to Mr Rudd and the Labor Party to come clean and provide the costings, coverage maps and technical information about their broadband proposal for the full scrutiny of the Australian public,” Senator Coonan said.

“So I say to Mr Rudd, if Labor thinks they can spend almost $5 billion of taxpayers’ money with no more detail or accountability than a mere press release, then this is just another example of Labor’s economic naiveté.”

Senator Coonan said that the WiMAX technology had worldwide support that would lead to more choice and lower prices for consumers.

The Global WiMAX Forum now has the support of over 400 organisations, including leading companies such as Motorola, Samsung, Fujitsu, AT&T and Alcatel. These are major companies that would not invest in an unproven technology.

In fact, in a statement yesterday, the WiMAX Forum supported the Australian Government’s rollout of WiMAX technology:

“The inclusion of WiMAX in the successful bid will allow rural and remote Australians to benefit from the latest development in…next generation broadband wireless products and solutions.”

And network supplier Nortel said in a letter to Senator Coonan yesterday:

“With our significant technical expertise, it is Nortel’s view that the Government’s decision is commendable and will provide great benefit to rural and remote Australians. We believe the inclusion of WiMAX as part of the Optus Elders Joint Venture bid will provide a leap forward in the delivery of broadband services to rural and regional Australians.”

“WiMAX is the world’s most advanced global standards-based wireless technology. It has been designed to provide users with a true broadband internet experience while enjoying the benefits of wireless freedom.”

Ends