The government of Australia recently decided to create a publicly owned company that would build and operate a high-speed broadband network across the country. The AU$43 billion project will be one of the largest state-sponsored internet infrastructure projects in the world. During the eight years it is estimated to construct the new network, the project will create as many as 37,000 jobs and give a major lift to the economy.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced the project, saying that it is “the most ambitious, far-reaching and long-term nation-building infrastructure project ever undertaken by an Australian government.”
The new national network will deliver broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second to approximately 90 percent of Australian buildings through fiber optic cables that will be connected directly to the buildings. The rest of the country will receive upgraded wireless access. The plan fulfills a 2007 election promise that Mr. Rudd made to overhaul the country’s internet structure. In addition to meeting that promise, the government is touting the new plan as an economic stimulus as well.
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