‘Broadband for the Bush’ ForumAlice Springs 30th June 2011

A Remote Perspective

Presenter: Daniel Featherstone

Indigenous Remote Communications Association

Challenges for remote communities

• Remoteness- limited communications

• Dispersed, mobile populations

• Low income & high costs of living

• Limited education, employment & economic opportunities

• Limited access to services- banking, government services, telephony and IT facilities, reliable power and water, library, mail

• Low indicators for health, education, housing, incarceration

• Indigenous first language, low English literacy

• Extreme weather conditions (cyclones, floods, road closures)

Remote Indigenous Communities

Fibre Optic Rollout in Remote Australia (2001)

Availability of ADSL services (Sept 2008)

Source: ACMA Communications Infrastructure and Services Availability in Australia 2008

Availability of ADSL2+ services (Sept 2008)

Source: ACMA Communications Infrastructure and Services Availability in Australia 2008

Availability of Telstra 3G services (Sept 2008)

Source: ACMA Communications Infrastructure and Services Availability in Australia 2008

Proposed solution under NBN

Issues with satellite

• Latency issues

• Effect of cloud cover (and dust, smoke, cyclones)

• Upload/download speed uneven, limits two-way applications

• Costs for satellite services and downloads

• Does not address need for improved telephony services

• Higher maintenance needs

• Trouble-shooting can be difficult

Preferred model- Terrestrial broadband backhaul to hub sites

• Link hub sites via fibre optic cable or microwave

• Low latency

• Robust infrastructure, more reliable, low maintenance

• Capacity for high speed two-way streaming

• More affordable services and download usage

• Ability to use as backhaul for mobile telephony, fixed telephony, and network extension

Key broadband applications used in remote communities

• Basic telephony services, especially Mobile telephony

• Tele-Health, Education, Justice and services

• Internet, email, Youtube, Indigitube

• IP Videoconferencing, Skype, VoIP

• New applications- Land management, archive retrieval (eg Ara Irititja), IP-TV (post Digital Switchover), GIS, e-tourism

Last Mile Options

• ADSL • Shared WiFi or WiMax- aggregated

usage• 3G (and 4G) mobile telephony• Ethernet over Power• Community access ICT facilities

Conclusions

• To Do: Needs Analysis for remote users and applications

• Terrestrial is more reliable & cost-effective than satellite

• Existing fibre networks in remote areas to be linked to NBN

• Last mile delivery is crucial to community access

• Shared or aggregated usage of service ideal

• Telephony (esp. mobile) highest priority for indigenous users

• Remote people are rapid adopters of new technology

• Need funding for IT access facilities, training, applications (esp. to develop creative software solutions)