Space considered as a possible fix for broadband by Conroy

In order to make the future digital economy work, Stephen Conroy, the Federal Communications minister has said that he is willing to spend as much as is needed.

A Tamworth forum was told by the minister that he would do whatever was required to resolve issues in remote and rural areas in terms of coverage, and this follows his announcement last week that he would take an axe to the monopoly held by Telstra.

To provide these areas with sufficient levels of coverage Senator Conroy said that he had not yet ruled out Australia sending its own satellite into space.

He advised “If we can’t do a deal with operators who’ve got satellites in the sky, we’re actually looking to do it ourselves.”

Plans for the introduction of digital TV and the rollout of the National Broadband Network were included in talks Senator Conroy had recently with academics, telecoms service providers and local mayors.

Claims that once the technology revolution begins the market should be allowed to set its own prices is something that he has said that he is now getting fed up with.

Conroy said “We are saying up front this will be a cross-subsidy, one wholesale price averaged across the country. I mean, fair dinkum, if you pay the same amount to use an ATM in Martin Place in Sydney as you do here, if banks can do it for ATMs, we can do it for an NBN network.

He went on to add “We’re not prepared to accept the argument the market will sort this out. We’ve had 11-and-a-half years of the market sorting this out, and it’s a debacle.”

When the analogue TV signal is switched off next year the lead is expected to be taken by Mildura in Victoria.

Source – Abc