Broadband for the Bush Alliance Getting the most for the 7%

Mike Crowe Director –Digital Futures Program Desert Knowledge Australia Apolline Kohen Senior Policy Adviser Ninti One Limited

Broadband for the Bush Alliance 1. Who we are – an emerging collaboration 2. How we work and our achievements to date 3. Our policies 4. Next steps 5. How you can be involved

Who we are: In the words of our policy document:“The Broadband

for the Bush Alliance (B4BA) is an alliance of organisations that seeks to advance the digital capacity and capability of remote Australians.

B4BA seeks the best possible communication

outcomes for the 7% of Australians not currently scheduled to receive fibre-to-the-premise through the National Broadband Network, and to advance unmet telephony needs, as a significant related issue.”

How did we start

Broadband for the Bush Alliance was

created following a national forum on

remote telecommunications

in July 2012

Started as an Alliance between

six major organizations

with expertise in communications

in remote Australia

Regular fortnightly

meetings from Jan 2013 –

membership expands to 12

May 2013 Initial policy

papers complete

June 2012 Delegation takes

message to Canberra.

Website online.

September 2013 Alliance

continues to grow

Who were the initial six? Australian Communications Consumers Action Network

Centre for Appropriate Technology

Centre for Remote Health

Desert Knowledge Australia

Indigenous Remote Communications Association

Ninti One

The context:

NBN Footprint Mobile Coverage

The context: NBN is on its way – but what about the bush

Why did we start?

Our Concern: • Despite the improvement that NBN offers – there is a risk

that the gap between those scheduled to get fibre and the 7% living outside the fibre footprint will grow.

• Telecommunications is about more than just broadband but includes mobile coverage.

The need: A group to speak on behalf of remote and rural Australia to

make the most of the improvements in telecommunications.

Our Aims

• A shared voice to advocate for the best possible telecommunications for remote Australians;

• Provide a single access point to a wide range of organisations with expertise and interest in achieving the best possible digital outcomes for remote Australians;

• Coordinate and support trials/ collaborations/projects/research between Alliance members aimed at achieving improved digital outcomes

How do we work?

An evolving collaboration:

fortnightly teleconference

meetings develop policy

Desert Knowledge Australia facilitates

the Alliance.

All members provide a contribution.

Membership is non- binding

Every organisation has an equal voice.

Members from : regional development, local govt,

service delivery, research, Indigenous

organisations or communications

advocacy organisations.

Our current members broadbandforthebush.com.au

Our activity to date • Grown from six to 14 members organisations • Jointly developed three key policy documents: Better telecommunications for rural and remote

Australians Rethinking the Indigenous Communications Policy Extending remote and rural cellular coverage

• The website went on line June 2013 • Delegation to Canberra.

Taking our policies to Canberra The Delegation: • Met with 17 key politicians to push for better

telecommunications for remote and rural Australians.

• Pushed for a specific remote and rural telecommunications policy.

• Well received with: 1) The creation of a Portfolio for Regional Communications in

subsequent weeks and 2) Coalitions mobile network expansion program ($80M)

strongly reflecting our policy’s wording

The Delegation

Andrew Crouch (CAT)

Daniel Featherstone (IRCA)

Michael Griffin (IRCA)

Ray Heffernan (RAPAD)

John Huigen(DKA)

Our policy

Remote and rural Australia needs a dedicated communications strategy

Seven ways the Government could improve remote and rural telecommunications:

1. The expansion of mobile coverage 2. Getting digital infrastructure right – both the rational use of existing

infrastructure and expanding infrastructure 3. Smart last mile solutions for small towns and communities 4. Affordable pricing for mobile calls in remote and rural Australia 5. Improved digital literacy 6. Good research to underpin remote communications policy 7. Improving Indigenous communications programs

Issue: Expanding mobile coverage

Findings of the Regional Telecommunications Review • “The predominant concern raised… by regional Australians is the adequacy of

mobile voice and broadband services” • “This issue was raised in every regional consultation and in around two-thirds of

the submissions…” • “Mobile communication is considered essential for people to run businesses, work

in remote areas, to encourage tourism and growth, and to have reliable communications in emergency situations”.

• “The committee recommends a co-investment program, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and interested states or territory governments, to expand the mobile coverage footprint in regional Australia, focussing on priority regions selected with community input….”

2011-12 Regional Telecommunications Review

NT Telstra NextG

coverage

SE Australia Telstra NextG

coverage

Mobile policies to date • Government policy - mobile coverage is a matter for the market

BUT

Small populations not economically viable => Market failure • No significant Commonwealth funding since 2007 (in contrast with fixed

NBN funding) • Recent State / Territory initiatives

– Royalties for Regions (WA) 1/2012: 113 new base station sites – NT Government / Telstra announced 4/2013: 8 new sites

Current Policy Positions

• Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NBN (Feb 2013) recommended “that the Government support the NBNCo to continue to …facilitate private providers use of NBNCo infrastructure to provide and improve mobile telephone services and coverage across Australia, particularly in regional and remote areas”.

• Coalition recently announced $80m for extended regional and remote mobile coverage, not matched by Labor

• Both major parties plan to share NBN wireless towers, but most such locations are near regional towns that already have mobile coverage (sharing NBN backhaul would be more useful)

NBN (wireless) coverage Queensland

B4BA Policy Proposals for expanding mobile coverage 1 Consider other approaches for incremental remote & rural expansion to small

populations, including a mix of: • Satellite backhaul (using commercial or NBN capacity) - a few Australian

examples and common overseas • Terrestrial microwave + microcell base stations • Sharing of remote area Telstra-owned HCRC phone towers

where cost effective as alternatives to fibre

B4BA Policy Proposals for expanding mobile coverage 2 • Lease surplus backhaul capacity from satellite provider => low capex, fast

rollout • Terrestrial microwave backhaul => high capex, but low opex and more

cost effective over long term

OVERALL – Propose detailed feasibility assessment of the options by all stakeholders

Issue: Rethinking The Indigenous Communications Program (ICP)

The Current ICP Program • Commonwealth funded initiative with service delivery by

State Government agencies, to provide ICT facilities & training in 70 remote communities

• Comprises community Internet access centres, community payphones, mobile sat phones

• Internet access funding continues to FY 2014, but only for existing (Government designated) recipients

B4BA Policy Proposals

• Pick and fund winners: communities with track record and

suitable building facilities • Engage Indigenous organisations & NGOs with ‘on the ground’

knowledge • Consider alternative / complementary delivery models:

– Home based Internet access – Portable (smart phones, tablets) Internet access with pervasive

community WiFi – Recurrent funded regional or sub-regional support through NGOs e.g.

Regional Indigenous Media Organisations

The Home Internet Program

Related B4BA Policy Proposals

• Extend NBN ‘Digital Hubs’ awareness raising & training

program to areas other than early release fibre sites (where benefit is arguably greater)

• Affordable pricing for mobile calls in remote and rural Australia – combating the ‘Tyranny of Distance’ – Complement existing fixed line ‘extended zones’ scheme (voice phone

calls within own and adjacent zones at untimed local call rate) with a mobile equivalent

– Mobile phone now the instrument of choice line scheme becoming less effective over time

Next Steps for the Alliance ...

• The Alliance continues to input comment on and input into Government

policy • Focus now is on building a wider network • Six weekly Project Update meetings – for wider network • The third Broadband for the Bush Forum planned for March 2014

•Mike Crowe

Join the Alliance • Join the Alliance and contribute financially or in other ways, • or simply become part of a wider network to be informed/

participate in the Alliance activities.

Contact: Mike Crowe

08 8959 6014 mike.crowe@desertknowledge.com.au

Or check out our website: http://broadbandforthebush.com.au/