Australian Broadband Guarantee of $162.5m announced - Blake Dawson Waldron Lawyers
On 7 March 2007, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts announced the Australian Government's new Australian Broadband Guarantee, under which residents in broadband "blackspots" across Australia will be entitled to receive subsidised, price-capped broadband with a guaranteed minimum level of broadband service.
The Guarantee's $162.5 million will assist broadband users who fall between the established city and town broadband infrastructure and the subsidised satellite schemes which have been established in remote areas. Eligible users will be entitled to an initial subsidy of $500 under the Guarantee, which will increase to $2,750 for users whose location requires them to pay for an alternative broadband service.
From April 2007, the Guarantee will replace two existing programs in this area:
- the Broadband Connect Incentive Program, which provides incentives to internet service providers to provide higher bandwidth internet services in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan areas; and
- the Metropolitan Broadband Connect program, which is an initiative to improve access to broadband internet services in metropolitan areas by assisting those who are unable to access broadband services at prices similar to those available to the majority of metropolitan customers.
