The major players in Australia’s telecommunications and IT industries were out in force yesterday to comment on the news that Labor would win Government and its flagship National Broadband Network project would go ahead. Most welcomed the news, although several had already started to look forward to the next step of the debate and rollout.

The first cab off the rank was Telstra.

“We congratulate the Government on its re-election and will continue to engage constructively across our many areas of common interest, including working towards finalising definitive agreements with NBN Co and the Government,” said a spokesperson for the telco.

Optus issued a similar statement, but went into more detail about how much it supported Labor’s plans.

“As acknowledged by both MPs, broadband is crucial to Australia’s future prosperity and fibre is indisputably the best way to deliver high speed broadband for the long-term,” said Maha Krishnapillai, Optus director of Government and Corporate Affairs. “As Tony Windsor said and we agree: “You build it once. You build it right. You build it with fibre.”

Optus saw the Labor win as endorsement for the long-term NBN solution, as well as endorsement for the need for an overhaul of the current regulatory structure in Australia. “We believe that the telco reform bill — including the structural separation of Telstra and greater power for the ACCC to enforce a level playing field in the fixed line market — must be a priority for the new Government,” said Krishnapillai.

The Optus executive said it was testament to the increasing importance of broadband that the issue became a defining one in the election.

Internode managing director Simon Hackett — a long-time supporter of the NBN project — said fibre all the way to the premises had always been the best and most future-proof direction for Australian broadband. “Its a large investment, but surely the improved future prospects it will bring for our children makes it worth that investment. I’m glad its going to go ahead,” he said.

Lobby group Digital Tasmania said it was “relieved” by the election outcome. “Consumers and business in Tasmania stand to benefit greatly from the NBN going ahead. They will go from having the poorest broadband services in the country to the best within 4 years,” said spokesperson Andrew Connor.

“There are huge job opportunities for civil works and data communications as well as complimentary fields such as training. To cancel the NBN and stick with current and old technologies would have sent Australia’s broadband infrastructure back by 5-10 years.”

Connor added that all independent members of parliament recognised broadband infrastructure as a key issue for their electorates and the country.

Telecommunications commentator Michael Wyres – who writes a popular blog on technology – said that he believed the return on investment for the NBN would repay Australia over the life of the network.

“When the electricity grid was first built, nobody could ever have envisaged televisions, microwave ovens, and computers – but none of these things would have been possible without the electricity grid,” he said.

“The future technologies that the NBN will allow cannot possibly be imagined right now, just as television, microwave ovens and computers could never have been imagined 100 years ago. However, anyone who can’t imagine that technologies that will be as equally world-changing as these will not be conceived in the coming years has zero ability for insight.”

The Communications Alliance, which represents much of the telco sector, said it was pleased to see clarity in the political situation. The group’s CEO John Stanton also welcomed the fact that the broadband debate featured so heavily in the policy priorities for all parties and hoped that this augured well for the new Parliament.

One of the briefest responses came from iiNet chief executive Michael Malone on Twitter. “Oh goodie. We’re going to have an NBN,” he wrote.

And Labor Senator Kate Lundy, who maintains a strong interest in technology policy, also immediately welcomed the NBN verdict.

“I am proud to be part of a Government that made this commitment to the NBN,” Lundy wrote on her site. “The NBN is correctly recognised as the social and economic infrastructure of the 21st century and the extent of its massive potential for this country is clear. Each day brings new ideas and prospects, particularly for economically and geographically isolated areas.”

The IT industry
It wasn’t just Australia’s telecommunications sector which welcomed the move, however. The information technology industry was also effusive in its praise of the election result.

Google’s head of engineering Alan Noble agreed with Optus’ sentiments on the importance of broadband to the election, and added that the search giant looked forward to working with Gillard and her team.

“The NBN will underpin Australia’s digital economy and will be just as vital an enabler of innovation, economic growth, and entrepreneurship in the 21st century as national highways and the electric grid were in the 20th century. Simply put, it means a world of opportunities for all Australians,” he said.

Intel’s Australian chief Phil Cronin said the company was already on the record as saying high-speed broadband would be a critical platform for building the digital economy in Australia. “We welcome today’s news. It will allow the IT industry, and the business community in general, to plan with confidence,” he said.

A Microsoft spokesperson said Australia needed a ubiquitous high-speed broadband network to boost the nation’s productivity and enhance its global competitiveness.

“This infrastructure will be critical in the years ahead and essential for reducing costs in health and education service delivery.  It will also contribute to overcoming the tyranny of distance that exists in rural and regional Australia,” they said.

The Australian Information Industry Association — which represents many technology companies in Australia — said it supported the election result, but that there was still work to be done.

“Given the high level of significance of the broadband issue, and in particular its resonance with the Independents, we now expect to see the rollout of the NBN prioritised in this Government’s term,” said AIIA CEO Ian Birks.

The AIIA has also called for the Government to hold a digital economy implementation summit to be held with major industry representatives within the first 90 days of the new Government taking office.

 “We must put in place new policy, incentive and investment levers to drive much higher levels of innovation through the adoption of technology by all businesses, large and small if we are to realise the real benefits on offer,” said Birks.

 “To deliver these benefits, both a broad community and business awareness campaign promoting the value of digital economy applications and services must be established, but more significantly, a significant policy investment must be made in order to realise a return on the investment being made in infrastructure.”

Image credit: Marcus Österberg, royalty free

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2. Quigley denies giving Labor free 1Gbps kick
3. Treasury costings scant on NBN details
4. Get nicked, Conroy: Baillieu rejects opt-out NBN
5. Gillard promises independents Quigley briefing

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1. SINE
   Posted 08/09/2010 at 11:25 am | Permalink | Reply

   typical of Michael Malone, he’s not interested in the long term future of this country, he’s only interested in short term profits from iinet hardware

   he’s no better than telstra/optus

   • penta
     Posted 08/09/2010 at 12:15 pm | Permalink | Reply

     I didn’t read that into his comment at all. It seemed like he just wrote a very short, positive message about it.

   • neilmc
     Posted 08/09/2010 at 1:13 pm | Permalink | Reply

     Did you take that as a sarcastic tweet by Malone? I think it was a genuine “goodie”. iiNet’s aggressive acquisition strategy has been focused on building bigger market share in preparation to be a major player at the NBN retail end.

2. Joe Wortho
   Posted 09/09/2010 at 3:17 am | Permalink | Reply

   Hahahaha, NBN is a good thing for MM, he’s looking forward to it.

   He’s already structuring free content for customers around the notion that an NBN is being rolled out.

3. Clytie Siddall
   Posted 09/09/2010 at 9:01 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I’m genuinely grateful we’re getting the NBN. I got cramp in my fingers from holding them crossed all through the Independents’ press conference.

   It was great to see technological access recognized as a major issue for this country. I only wish Rob Oakeshott or Tony Windsor represented my regional electorate (Barker).