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Budget 2010-2011: Government pumps cash into NBN and ISP filtering

$300 million worth of infrastructure bonds to be put up in the next year as part of a range of ICT initiatives in the2010-2011 Federal Budget
$467m over two years for a unified health record system

$467m over two years for a unified health record system

  • $467m over two years for a unified health record system
  • $300m in Aussie Infrastructure Bonds to get pumped into the NBN
  • $100.8m over six years for a new passport issuing system
  • $23.6m to prevent ID theft by using the Government Document Verifications scheme
  • $69.4m over two years for a biometric-based visa system
  • $24m for new analytical technology for the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)
  • $16m on ads and marketing to convince Australians to vote for the NBN
  • $11.9m for more Government data centres
  • $3m for Cyber Safety projects, including filtering
  • $1.7m for the National Emergency call centre surge capacity
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The Government has kicked up its commitment to the National Broadband Network (NBN), promising $300 million in funds from infrastructure bonds and $16m in advertising and marketing to promote fast Internet as part of the new Federal Budget.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will also receive $24m over five years to create access arrangements for the NBN and provide advice on pricing and quality of service.

Mandatory filtering of the Internet was also brought up during the 2010-2011 Budget report, announced last night, with the Government again describing its plan to introduce legislative amendments that force ISPs to stop refused classification (RC) material into Australia.

“The Government will provide additional ongoing funding of $3m per annum to enhance a range of initiatives to help protect children from inappropriate material on the Internet,” according to the Budget statement.

Mandatory filtering also made it onto the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy’s set of objectives in the next few years.

It listed the “procurement of filtering tool and advice to assist ISPs to implement mandatory filtering and delivery of a grants program on wider filtering services” as a key performance indicator, which is also known as a benchmark for success.

But not all citizen initiatives got a cash injection through the latest Budget. A recent increase in the standards of the Australian Broadband Guarantee, which pays a subsidy to ISPs willing to provide decent Internet to affected users, saw Government funding for the project drop by $16.4m over the next four years. “The increased availability of metro-comparable broadband services to residential and small business premises has reduced the funds required,” the Government stated in its Budget report.

Revenue raisers for the Government’s NBN push include the heavily criticised Aussie Infrastructure Bonds. The first round is set to be sold to institutional and other wholesale investors.

“In 2010-11, $300 million of [Government investment in NBN Co] will be financed by Aussie Infrastructure Bonds,” it said. “Consideration is currently being given to offerings of Aussie Infrastructure Bonds for household investors.”

The Government will need to find plenty of investors with the $25m McKinsey Implementation study predicting the rollout of an NBN will cost $18.3 billion over the next four years alone.

Nominations for the 2012 ARN IT Industry Awards open on Tuesday, June 12.

More about: ACCC, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, etwork
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Comments

1

Trevor C

Wed 12/05/2010 - 10:51

"Mandatory filtering of the Internet was also brought up during the 2010-2011 Budget report, announced last night, with the Government again describing its plan to introduce legislative amendments that force ISPs to stop refused classification (RC) material into Australia." Let them shoot themselves in the foot if they insist. They know people will find a away around their filter, and they will cost themselves a lot of votes, maybe even enough to lose the election/ I used to vote Labor, but this year I was going to do a 'Donkey Vote', but in light of Labor's continued stupidity I will now vote Coalition for sure. Australia cannot afford Labor.

2

gnome

Wed 12/05/2010 - 16:31


As far as I know, no political party have yet said that they will vote against the filter. As for Labor, they must be starting to believe their own spin if they think they can get votes from the fundamentalists without losing far more votes from everybody who can see how stupid the filter will be.

3

petey

Fri 14/05/2010 - 15:48

Seems strange to advertise the NBN. Chances are if you haven't heard of the internet by now, you are not going to be signing up for fibre. Everyone else is sick of waiting for physical access while they debate marketing strategies.

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