About this site
Sun, Oct 16, 2005; by Bill Coppinger.Updated February 2007
Although the official work of the Broadband Broker and demand aggregation project finished in June of 2006, much work is still continuing with Shire Councils, independent businesses and throughout communities to expand access to telecommunications across our region.
We wish to keep this website active to alert subscribers and community members to developments across the district. Although no longer a formal "demand aggregation" project, the work started by the original Commonwealth Government funding has greatly assisted in the development of considerable momentum within the three shires to co-ordinate their planning for improved telecommunications services.
We will continue to highlight relevant development and opportunities for communities on this site.
The original partners in the 12 month project are also assessing possible further Government Funding opportunities.
Background to the Project
Updated Sept 2006
Federal Government funding of $8.4 million from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts [DCITA] established a network of Demand Aggregation Brokers. The programme focused on regional, rural and remote areas of Australia.
The "Central Ranges Demand Aggregation Broker" initiative was established in August 2005 and ran until June 30th 2006. The Macedon, Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires partnered with the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network to successfully bid for Commonwealth Funding to support the a Community Based Demand Aggregation Broker.It received a $248,000 grant to conduct a broadband demand aggregation project during this time.
The Macedon Ranges Shire was the lead agent in partnership with the Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires, supported by the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network.
The Central Ranges Broker project received very strong support from the Local Member for McEwen and Minister for Small Business and Tourism, The Hon. Fran Bailey.
Funding via this project has allowed very detailed knowledge of future need and demand to be documented as well as securing improved services for some fo the communities across the region.
Read original announcement here.
The purpose of demand aggregation is to coordinate demand at a regional level so there is a viable business case for rolling out infrastructure to areas that would not otherwise receive broadband services. Public services such as health, education and local government are recognised as key focus areas for demand aggregation strategies, along with increasing community connectivity.
The Central Ranges Demand Aggregation Broker worked with community and sectoral leaders to encourage investment by governments, the private sector and local communities in broadband infrastructure and services.
The broker worked to develop broadband markets where there were pockets of existing or potential demand, which were either too small or too isolated to be attractive to suppliers. Demand Aggregation brokers seek to bring this demand together to increase the purchasing power of buyers to achieve more affordable pricing arrangements, greater choice and improved access to broadband.
The Federal Government program included three core elements:
- national brokers, to focus on multi-jurisdictional broadband initiatives in targeted areas such as the health and education sectors
- state and territory based brokers, to work with governments and communities within a state or territory to develop demand aggregation projects, both across sectors and within particular geographic areas
- community based brokers, to assist communities with the development and implementation of specific broadband demand aggregation projects.
What did the Central Ranges Broker do?
The ‘Central Ranges’ broker analyzed potential and existing broadband markets across the Macedon, Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires, where there were pockets of existing and potential demand, but which were too small and too isolated to be attractive to suppliers on current business models.
The ‘Central Ranges’ broker worked to
- Establish avenues for information sharing with communities that are at a similar stage in the development of their broadband strategy and encourage coordinated planning;
- implement detailed demand surveys to determine the commitment and needs of potential buyers of broadband connections with a specific view of establishing a multi-shire community precinct model or ‘coin’ [Community of Integrated Networks], utilizing existing and planned [complimentary] infrastructure;
- refine local demand aggregation business plans;
- establish project management arrangements to integrate with existing economic plans;
- assist communities and local government to make the region more attractive for infrastructure investment; and
- establish business and technology models, identifying external funding opportunities and assist with the development of proposals for funding of deployment of new infrastructure.
An outline of activity across the three shires can be found by browsing past entries on this web site.
Detailed mapping and assessment of current telecommunications infrastructure, community and business demand and detailed assessment of possible technology models for communities across the Central Ranges region has been completed in partnership with the three shires and some detailed project management arrangements have been integrated with existing economic plans.
There is still much to do and the project partners will consider possibilities under the newly announced Broadband Connect which is an $878 million initiative of the Australian Government to support equitable access to high quality, sustainable broadband services across regional and rural Australia. Broadband Connect builds on the success of the previous Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS).
Broadband Connect is part of the Government's $1.1 billion Connect Australia package.
Currently, the program provides registered Internet Service Providers with incentive payments to supply higher bandwidth services in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan areas. Details and further links to the incentive program are now available here.
On 21 September 2006, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator the Hon. Helen Coonan, announced an alternative approach to the Broadband Connect program and released the guidelines for the Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program.
Contact us
For more information about the project please follow the link below.
All contact details can be found here.
In partnership with the Macedon, Mitchell and Murrindindi Shires
proudly supported by the Central Ranges Local Learning and Employment Network Inc.
This Page was last updated: Saturday, February 10, 2007 at 6:37:57 AM
This page was originally posted: 16/10/200505; 8:53:17 PM.
Copyright 2010 Community Broadband Project
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.