Digital Regions Initiative

A competitive selection process for digital education, health and emergency services in regional, rural and remote Australia will commence in the second half of 2009.

"The $60 million Digital Regions Initiative will ensure Australians living outside our major metropolitan centres enjoy the benefits of digital education, health and emergency services," the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said.

"The National Broadband Network will deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians, no matter where they choose to live or work and the Digital Regions Initiative will drive important developments to enable the productive benefits on offer."

"Through the Digital Regions Initiative, the Rudd Government will form partnerships with state, territory and local governments to drive digital development in the key service areas of education, health and emergency services."

Senator Conroy today invited comments from key stakeholders on the draft program guidelines for the Digital Regions Initiative.

"These guidelines will shape the way we deliver projects supporting digital education, health and emergency services under the Digital Regions Initiative. I look forward to receiving views on the operation of this program," Senator Conroy said.

The Digital Regions Initiative was announced on 5 March 2009 as part of the Government’s initial response to the Regional Telecommunications Review. Further funding was announced in the 2009–10 Budget.

Examples of possible initiatives include but will not be limited to:

• remote medical consultation, diagnosis and treatment to address regional skills shortages and enhance patient care
• digital resources and services such as teleconferencing to improve access to educational opportunities for regional, rural and remote students and teachers, and
• digital technologies to improve emergency and disaster response.
  

Following the finalisation of guidelines, the first Digital Regions Initiative competitive selection round will commence in the second half of 2009.

The draft guidelines and information on the Digital Regions Initiative are available online at www.dbcde.gov.au/digitalregions

When will the Digital Regions Initiative commence?

The Digital Regions Initiative will commence in 2009 and conclude in 2013.

Draft guidelines are now available for public comment until 8 July 2009. [Download Guidelines ]

• Expressions of Interest will be invited in the second half of 2009.
• Projects are expected to commence in early 2010 to ensure regional communities benefit as quickly as possible.

What types of projects will be funded under the Digital Regions Initiative?

• The Digital Regions Initiative will expand and replicate successful Clever Networks, state, territory and local government projects and models of service delivery into other regions. It will also support the expansion of projects across state/territory borders or nationally.

• The Digital Regions Initiative's key focus is on improving service delivery through the use of innovative digital enablement technology. Projects will be expected to offer sustainable solutions and longer term benefits for regional Australians.

[ Source: Dept. of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy]

Related Links

• Communities of Integrated Networks - C.O.I.N.s - 2004 -2009

Technology for Not for Profit Organisations!

Dear Colleagues,

We work with many not-for-profit, income exempt organisations across our region and we know how difficult it is to support your IT capacity with the price of software and hardware often being well-beyond our limited operating budgets.

We would like to draw your attention to:

DonorTec

DonorTec provides donated software and hardware from companies such as Microsoft and Cisco to eligible Australian non profit groups with Income Tax Exempt Status (ITE). Via this program you can get the latest products.

This is an exciting program to assist Australian non profits build their ICT capacity and has already assisted hundreds of groups to make huge savings in their operations!

The Donortec Program is provided by Community Information Strategies Australia Inc CISA (trading as Connecting Up Australia) in partnership with TechSoup. Both CISA and Compumentor/TechSoup are nonprofit organisations that are part of a global partnership for technology donations with companies such as Microsoft and Cisco and more companies to come.

 

For more details please follow this link:

http://www.donortec.com.au

Australia 2020 - Broadband Government Response

The Prime Minister released the Government response to the Australia 2020 Summit on 22 April 2009.

The release follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to consider fully the more than 900 ideas generated by participants to the Australia 2020 Summit.

The Response outlines ideas the government will implement, those it will explore further and those which, at this time, will not proceed.

The Response includes ten chapters – based on the topics discussed at the Australia 2020 Summit – which can be viewed or downloaded separately.

Whilst the entire report will be of interest to many, Chapters 3, 4,6 and 7 will probably hold most interest for members and stakeholders of the CRLLEN.

Of particular interest will be the reference to Broadband infrastructure in Chapter 4.

Australia 2020 Government response

Developing Australia's digital skills

Developing Australia's digital skills. To fully participate in the digital economy, Australians need effective digital, media literacy and e-business skills. We are talking about skills at all levels individual, business and higher education and vocational training.

Read on for more detail about these issues and to let us know the best ways we can develop Australia's digital skills... [Digital Economy Future Directions Latest Topics]

Wireless OK where broadband won't go

The [Australian] federal government is set to save millions of dollars in subsidy payments for families that cannot receive broadband, following a ruling that wireless internet services are adequate...

[Source: MIS Australia]

UK government unveils broadband-for-everyone plan

Every home in Britain will be guaranteed access to broadband internet under plans unveiled by the government, which put the technology on a par with telephones as an essential service.

"We are developing plans to move towards an historic universal service commitment for broadband and digital services," Culture Secretary Andy Burnham told MPs in the House of Commons on Thursday.

Universal service obligations (USOs) were used in 1840 to guarantee postal services across Britain, and in 1984 to ensure everyone had access to a phone.

The plan to give every household broadband access by the 2012 Olympic Games in London is part of a new strategy, which includes upgrading radio from analogue to digital, to ensure Britain's future in a digital age.

[Source: SMH]

Bridging the Digital Divide - A Young Person's Perspective

The Inspire Foundation - a national organisation that uses technology to create opportunities for young people to change their world - and funded by Vic Health has recently undertaken a research report arising out of the "Bridging the Digital Divide" project entitled "Young people's perspectives on taking action". The report found that "taking action" to marginalised young people means something quite different to traditional definitions of social and political participation.

The research found that some of the barriers to participating in social and political action included not knowing how to take action, the attitudes of others and their own personal circumstances and characteristics. For the most marginalised, issues such as safety, personal security and health were very important.

Download

Young people's perspectives on taking action, 'Bridging the Digital Divide' , Inspire Foundation and ORYGEN Youth Health, University of Melbourne.

[Source: Thanks to Sheree Brown]

National baseline of school broadband connectivity 2008

National baseline of school broadband connectivity 2008

This paper presents the aggregated national findings drawn from the first Fibre Connections to Schools (FCS) initiative baseline survey. The FCS baseline will be used to support the future implementation of the FCS initiative, including the development of high level strategies, program guidelines and investment approaches. This paper contains only data at a highly aggregated national level in accordance with the confidentiality undertaking given by DEEWR to respondents.

The survey, which was developed in consultation with education stakeholders, was distributed by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) in May-June 2008 to government school authorities and Catholic and independent school sector bodies for response by the end of July 2008. The baseline reflects responses as at 15 August 2008.

Releated links

National baseline of school broadband connectivity 2008.

Download the national baseline of school broadband connectivity 2008 [ 425.1 KB]

Industry, business & Government drive digital economy future

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, met with industry and business leaders on the 10th of September to discuss and plan the vision for Australia's future in the global digital economy.

As members of the CRLLEN will know, we have worked closely with both the previous Federal Government and we hope now with the new Federal Government to advocate for the importance of coordinated and synchronised activity to support improved telelcommunications infrastructure across the Macedon, Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires to enhance employment, training and service provision opportunities for young people, local businesses and the broader communities.

Senator Conroy said:

"We need to position now for Australia to realise the full benefits from the Governments infrastructure and other digital economy investments, and realise our ambition to become one of the worlds leading digital economies," Senator Conroy said.

"Like industrialisation, the digital economy is providing benefits across society. We know that the digital economy must underpin Australia's future economic progress."

"Today a consensus emerged on the need to collaborate to develop a road map for the future of the digital economy in Australia."

Senator Conroy chaired the Digital Economy Forum in Melbourne, where he announced a Future Directions Paper to be produced in collaboration with industry, business and other stakeholders. The paper will be published early next year.

[Source: DBCDE.gov.au ]

These stylised facts describe the main drivers of growth, decline and migration. The stylised facts have been determined from analysis of all of Australia’s regions and were originally developed as part of the State of the Regions series of reports, produced for the Australian Local Government Association by our data partner, the The National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR) .

They provide an important insight into what young people need to ensure a sustainable future.

One key stylised fact about the strong correlation between access to telecommunications bandwidth and dispoasable income is critical for regional planners and all levels of government to undertsand.

Related Links

• Dept Broadband, Communications & Digital Economy
• C.O.I.Ns - Communities of Integrated Networks
• Our Communities - Our Stories - Envi Scan 2008-2011
• State of the Regions Report -ALGA

Victoria set for $35m broadband boost

According to MIS Australia -

The Victorian government will pump $35 million into upgrading high-speed internet services to rapidly growing regions of the state that are in danger of falling behind in the broadband stakes as their populations grow.