Broadband Access: Australia's Plan, Digital Divide, and Speed

This report delves into the crucial topic of broadband access, examining national initiatives that have aimed to improve internet availability and affordability globally. It explores the Australian national broadband plan, analyzing its successes and shortcomings, and also investigates the persistent digital divides within Australia, considering factors such as geography, age, and income that affect internet usage. The report identifies countries with the lowest broadband access rates, highlighting different approaches to providing affordable internet. Furthermore, it details the benefits of high-speed internet, such as reduced buffering, faster page load times, and support for multiple users. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of well-planned implementation and political stability in the success of broadband initiatives, drawing on the case studies to illustrate these points.

Running head: BROADBAND ACCESS
Broadband access
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction:......................................................................................................................................2
2. National initiatives that contributed to access..................................................................................2
3. Australian national broadband plan..................................................................................................3
4. Digital divides in Australia..................................................................................................................3
5. Countries that have lowest broadband access rates.........................................................................4
6. Benefits of having higher speed........................................................................................................4
7. Conclusion:........................................................................................................................................5
8. References:........................................................................................................................................6

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1. Introduction:
With the increased digitization that is going on around the world, the need for affordable
broadband access has grown exponentially. Broadband provides access to services, resources and
products which enhances the life of individuals. Broadband could overcome financial and
geographical barriers in order to provide access to cultural, recreational, and educational
opportunities and resources [1]. That is why broadband access is so important. This report would
research on national initiatives that had led to affordable broadband access. The current situation of
Australian national broadband plan would also be studied. ‘Digital divide’ will also be researched
upon. Countries would be identified that offers lowest access rates. Benefits of higher connection
speed will also be researched upon.
2. National initiatives that contributed to access.
In October 2009, Finland became the first country to declare broadband access and it was
considered as a civil right. After a month, Spain became the next to grant the right to broadband for
citizens. 1 Mbps connection was granted to every citizen at an affordable price and all this was done
in 2011 [2]. This was a pledge adopted by both countries mentioned above. In the year 2010,
Australia was another country to formulate a national broadband plan for citizens. The estimated
cost of the project was up to 38 billion dollars in US currency. In another case, United Kingdom also
passed Digital economy act on 8th April 2010. For the most powerful country on the planet which is
the US, national broadband plan was published on the year 2010. Main emphasis of the plan was on
competition policy, regulation, spectrum management and infrastructure sharing. The plan also
created a connect America fund. It was created for ensuring that a minimum of 4 Mbps download
speed is available for all citizens.

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3. Australian national broadband plan.
Australia’s national broadband plan has been termed as a disaster by few citizens. The plan
was estimated to cost around 49 billion Australian dollars. A customer who goes by the name John
Codrington expected the super fast internet connectivity delivered by the plan would change his
business and also would satisfy his children’s. The customer complained that they get only a quarter
of 100mbps speed and the service is said to shut down at least once in a day. Australia is counted as
one of the richest countries but ranks 50th when average broadband speeds are taken into account
[3]. NBN promised to connect twelve million homes in Australia and also business to the superfast
internet. However, the network only covers half of the country. Prices are high and speed is below
average. This plan was perceived in the year 2009 but due to poor technology choices, political
interventions and inadequate delivery, it kind of became a lesson for future governments [8]. The
project had to experience massive delays when liberal national coalition got elected. Since the prime
minister then ordered a review of the estimated costs.
4. Digital divides in Australia.
The ‘digital divide’ in Australia remains unchanged despite pumping huge investments in
national broadband network. Although there are increased penetration of digital apps in people’s
lives but still the amount of people using the internet is not growing. The foremost parameter for
digital inequality includes geography, education, age and income. This parameter is used for
defining uses of online resources and access. Additionally, it is estimated that nearly 2.6 million
Australians do not use the internet and this is really a staggering number [4]. The reason for this
abnormal figure is due to the presence of economic and social issues. Age also determines the
number of internet users. Majority of people aged between 15 and 54 are internet users.
Additionally, majority of people with a source of income are online compared to individuals that are
not employed. A greater digital inclusion should be there. It has been suggested that it will yield
benefit for government, community and business only when the level of digital inclusion is raised.

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5. Countries that have lowest broadband access rates.
There are six countries that offer ridiculously cheap internet access. Belarus is the first of six
countries that offer low access rate for broadband. As little as 9.40 US dollars individuals can enjoy
broadband access. The next country is Bulgaria and in this country a 10 megabit connection costs
only 8.38 US dollars a month. Romania is another country that has the largest population of
information technology freelancers. A 10 megabit connection in Romania costs only 7.36 US dollars
per month [6]. In Russia, the lowest rate for obtaining accessing internet through a legit broadband
only costs about 6.35 US dollars a month. In Venezuela, the cost is ridiculously low. The cost is as low
as 3.94 US dollars. The price of 10 megabit connection in Ukraine costs about only 3.23 US dollars.
Cheap internet is provided in these countries through the help public private enterprises. As an
example, search engine giant Google has successfully implemented a pilot project in Ghana that
aims to increase speed and reliability [5].
6. Benefits of having higher speed.
There are several benefits associated with having high broadband speed. The first one is no
buffering while watching videos. The young generation is restless and they would not want anything
that frustrates them. Faster page load time is counted as one of the benefits. Everyone can admit
that waiting for a page to load is bit of an annoyance [7]. With the introduction of high speed
internet, a page will take much less time to load and thereby reducing annoyance. Multiple users are
supported because of high net speed. If there are multiple users in a household sharing the same
connection then speed will become litter slow. A high speed internet service will mitigate this
problem. Users will need a good router and also will need to invest in high speed internet to be able
to overcome the problem. A high speed internet will bring peace and a sense of well being for the
users.

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7. Conclusion:
In this report, national initiatives that has contributed to access, Australian national
broadband plan, digital divide in Australia, countries that have the lowest internet access rate and
benefits of having high speed have been thoroughly researched. Based on the report, it can be
concluded that a poor thought out plan, poor implementation and political interference will lead to a
project failure.

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8. References:
[1]"Why is Broadband important? |", Broadbandpathways.cci.fsu.edu, 2018. [Online]. Available:
http://broadbandpathways.cci.fsu.edu/why-is-broadband-important/. [Accessed: 03- May- 2018].
[2]"Digital Inclusion: Beyond Access to Broadband", Information and Communications for
Development, 2018. [Online]. Available: http://blogs.worldbank.org/ic4d/digital-inclusion-beyond-
access-to-broadband. [Accessed: 03- May- 2018].
[3]"Australia struggles to deliver national broadband plan", Ft.com, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://www.ft.com/content/b0b3c2fc-9d32-11e7-8cd4-932067fbf946. [Accessed: 03- May- 2018].
[4]"Australia's digital divide is not going away", The Conversation, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://theconversation.com/australias-digital-divide-is-not-going-away-91834. [Accessed: 03- May-
2018].
[5]"These are the Countries With the Worst Internet Access", Fortune, 2018. [Online]. Available:
http://fortune.com/2015/10/06/worst-internet-access/. [Accessed: 03- May- 2018].
[6]J. Buntinx, "Top 6 Cheapest Countries for Internet Access", The Merkle, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://themerkle.com/top-6-cheapest-countries-for-internet-access/. [Accessed: 03- May- 2018].
[7]"The Advantages of High Speed Internet", Xfinity.com, 2018. [Online]. Available:
https://www.xfinity.com/hub/internet/the-advantages-of-high-speed-internet. [Accessed: 03- May-
2018].
[8]Beltrán, F, Fibre-to-the-home, high-speed and national broadband plans: Tales from Down
Under. Telecommunications Policy, 38(8-9), 2014, pp.715-729.