Answers to Questions

BROADBAND ROLLOUT

18 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (9 May 2007).

1. Has the broadband rollout in South Australia been completed and if not, what percentage is yet to be completed and which locations still do not have coverage?

2. What has been the total cost of South Australia's broadband rollout?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling): The 2003-04 State Budget provided an allocation of $8.37 million over four years for the development of a broadband program, Broadband SA, including the development of a State Broadband Strategy, the establishment of a cross-agency consultative group to consider state broadband issues, a broadband capability 'mapping' and the Broadband Development Fund (BDF), a four-year, $7 million fund for investment in infrastructure to increase access and affordability of broadband services throughout South Australia.

Broadband demand aggregation projects, which identify the level and location of demand for broadband services, have now been completed in all the non-metropolitan regions of South Australia.

Broadband projects, supported by the BDF, have enabled the deployment of broadband in the Yorke Peninsula, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Kangaroo Island, the Coorong District, the Barossa and Light Region and the City of Salisbury. These projects have involved a variety of telecommunications providers, namely Amcom Telecommunications, Internode/Agile, Silk Telecoms and Telstra.

An extremely successful process, drawing on the support and collaboration of all levels of government and the private telecommunications industry has been adopted. Recent changes to the Federal Government's programs for the support of broadband rollout, however, have caused uncertainty for recently deployed broadband projects and those still in the planning phase. The transition from the previous Broadband Connect subsidy scheme to the new Australian Broadband Guarantee affected the anticipated funding that would have been provided to projects in Yorke Peninsula, the Barossa and Light Region and the Coorong District. It has also delayed the implementation phases for projects in Eyre Region, Fleurieu, Adelaide Hills, Central Local Government Region, Murray and Mallee LGA and the South East LGA.

In a press release on 12 April 2007 announcing further modifications to the Australian Broadband Guarantee, the Federal Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan stated that the Federal Government 'particularly wanted to ensure that a number of important projects in South Australia were properly accommodated under the program.'

Such recognition highlights the successful process that was in place as the result of South Australian Government policy for the delivery of broadband services in this state.

Other South Australian Government projects have been delivering specific broadband services into regional centres around South Australia. This activity has been completed in Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta and is about to begin in Mount Gambier. Further projects for Port Pirie, Murray Bridge, Berri and other Riverland towns are also scheduled.

Specialised broadband services for the research and education sector have been delivered through the South Australian Broadband Research and Education Network, called SABRENet. This project has constructed and will operate an optical-fibre telecommunications network linking major research sites in metropolitan Adelaide.

Separately, broadband coverage in South Australia has been progressed through other activity such as the deployment of broadband in selected telephone exchange areas by Telstra, sometimes triggered by the competitive pressure of community-based projects funded through the BDF. Other providers are maintaining a competitive market by installing their own broadband service equipment in Telstra exchanges, particularly within the metropolitan area.

Any analysis of the extent of broadband coverage in the state is dependent on considerations of the technology concerned. The entire state is covered by satellite broadband services but many people do not wish to use satellite services because of issues regarding cost and performance.

The total cost of South Australia's broadband rollout consists of funds from several sources. The South Australian Government, the Federal Government, telecommunications companies and local community organisations have all contributed to that cost.

The South Australian Government component to regional community-based projects has occurred through the BDF which was launched in December 2003. To date BDF funding approvals, totalling $4.004 million, have been made for the broadband infrastructure projects in Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Region, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Kangaroo Island, the Coorong District, City of Salisbury, Barossa & Light and Mount Gambier. A further $0.289 million from the BDF has been provided to community-based regional organisations to assist their project planning processes.

South Australian Government agencies have contributed $1.178 million for the Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta project and have committed $1.670 million for the projects in Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Murray Bridge, Berri and Riverland towns.

For the SABRENet backbone construction, $233,000 was contributed by the South Australian Government.