Issue: 22/09

ATUG Greenfields Submission

June 17, 2009

ATUG responded to the Greenfields consultation to ensure end users needs are reflected in the policy and technical developed to support the NBN goal of fibre to 90% of Australian premises within an 8 year timeframe.
ATUG notes that this is in the context of the Government recognising the critical importance of future telecommunications regulatory settings, including ongoing consumer safeguards, to ensure the best outcomes for all Australians and the competitiveness of the economy.
The component parts of the NBN – greenfields and brownfields, CBD, urban, regional, rural and remote – must all reflect the critical importance of the NBN infrastructure to end users – this will be the core communications platform on which many other initiatives, in the transformation of Australia’s entire economy to a Digital Economy, will depend.
ATUG’s central concerns for the NBN remain:

Policy Objective
Affordability
Choice
Equivalence – in practice
Customer Experience
Ubiquity

ATUG’s key suggestions are

The Policy objective for the NBN regulatory framework and any supporting legislation, regulation, education must remain, the Long-term Interests of End Users.
Affordability is key to take-up. Regulation should support a cost effective, high quality build. Competition is the strongest tool for delivering affordable prices – network design must enable competition at the lowest level feasible. An entry level “safety-net” package must be available to ensure maximum take-up.
Choice – network topology is central to competition and choice. Designs that foreclose competition should not be accepted. When infrastructure competition is not possible, service competition based on open access and equivalence must be possible.
Equivalence in practice – can only be assured by a new and independent body, NBN Australia, with the task of implementing the Open Access and Equivalence Frameworks for Australia’s NBN
Customer Experience in the NBN environment must be managed for success, from the “wall to the world”, from the initial connection (Greenfields) or migration (Brownfields) through service contracting to service switching and repair experiences. Service quality and security standards must reflect the key role of the NBN in the lives of all Australians.
Ubiquity – all Australians must be connected to the NBN. Ubiquity is not only about network availability but also about affordability and accessibility. When all Australians are connected to the NBN, the real potential of this capability for productivity, growth and innovation will be open to end users in all parts of the economy and community, and in all regions of Australia.

ATUG’s full submission is available here

Please see the information on the ATUG Digital Economy Future Forum and we hope you will be able to join us and contribute to the discussions on the important issues relating to Australia’s NBN.

The Future Forum is an opportunity to discuss the issues and catch up with your peers.

Please distribute this invitation to all those you feel would like to attend the forum.

The program is available here

To register please email elizabeth.lawler@atug.org.au