Australia not prepared for next-gen broadband

Australia has some catching up to do to take full advantage of the ‘digital age’ and next-generation broadband, with one in five Australian adults still not using the internet.

These are among the findings of a new report from the Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation (ACBI) and the CSIRO’s Digital Productivity and Services Flagship.

The report finds that while businesses and communities are optimistic about the potential of the NBN and next-generation broadband in general in terms of improving the way Australians live and work, more must be done to prepare them to take full advantage.

“Recognising that more and more government and business services are delivered online, a key focus of our research is to understand the behaviour and capabilities of adoption and use of next generation broadband,” ACBI Director Colin Griffith said.

“Across the board we have found that giving more people and businesses the skills and confidence to use these broadband services effectively will not only have a positive impact on their quality of life and business success, but also create broader economic benefits.”

The debate over the NBN project has so far been dominated by discussions of cost and scale, he said.

“While these are important discussions, our research highlighted that government, industry and the community need to invest in capability building through training and investment programs if we are to fully realise the benefits of next-generation broadband.”

The report also identifies the future challenges next-generation broadband will pose for Australia, including accelerated disruption of traditional jobs, businesses and services. It argues that strategic investments in capacity building and innovation could help mitigate these threats.

“Ultimately, it is the capabilities of every person and business that will determine the overall level of benefit realised for Australia in terms of jobs, improvement in productivity and quality of life,” Griffith said.