Obama Looks Down Under For Broadband Plan

bealtine

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/324041/obama_telecommunications_advisor_keen_nbn_detail?fp=16&fpid=1

Obama telecommunications advisor keen on NBN detail

White House continues its interest in Australia's digital economy approach meeting with leading telco analyst
Trevor Clarke 28 October, 2009 12:29
Tags: Senator Stephen Conroy, paul budde, National Broadband Network (NBN)

The Obama administration's interest in the National Broadband Network (NBN) continues, with the US president's key telecommunications advisor meeting an Australian analyst earlier this month to discuss the $43 billion plan.

Buddecomme director and telecommuncations analyst, Paul Budde, met with former ICANN board member and Obama's special assistant for science, technology, and innovation policy, Susan Crawford, to discuss the Federal Government's NBN approach. The meeting took place in the second week in October.

"There is an enormous interest from the United States in what we are doing here," Budde told Computerworld. "Not that they are looking to copy us, not at all. But it is fascinating for them to see how things are developing and obviously how they can learn from it. They are now a strong believer in this trans-sector approach."

Budde has written several reports on telecommunications for the Obama administration and, along with other analysts and industry bodies, has also spent the last few years assisting communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy — and the former minister, Helen Coonan — to develop Australia's digital economy strategy.

The strategy, released by Conroy in July, is partly based on using broadband infrastructure to boost other sectors of the economy such as healthcare, education and smart grids. It is this trans-sector approach which the US advisor and Budde discussed in the meeting.

"There needs to be a multiplier effect in the investment you make in telecoms — it should not just be limited to high-speed Internet," Budde said. "That is pretty new and in the US it is nearly communism, that sort of thinking. They are not used to that level of sharing and going away from free-market politics to a situation whereby you are looking at the national interest. In all my 30 years in the industry, this is the first time America is interested in listening to people like myself from outside.

"The interesting thing is the White House also has a trans-sector team, so under Obama they really have a team that looks at that multiplier effect."

The analyst also indicated the New Zealand and Dutch governments were actively investigating the NBN and that mutual cooperation between the four nations would continue.

The international interest in the NBN has been ramping up in recent months. Conroy is understood to have met several world leaders at the recent ITU Telecom World 2009 summit in Geneva during the first week of October. The minister also traveled through the UK and Singapore on his return trip and it is likely he met with respective officials to discuss the NBN, however a spokesperson for Conroy would not confirm the details.

It is also understood the company responsible for rolling out the network, NBN Co, has been approached by several international telcos, including US giant AT&T.

In other recent NBN news, the second stage of the rollout in Tasmania was announced, with the addition of seven locations across the state. The locations include Sorell, Deloraine, George Town, St Helens, Triabunna, Kingston Beach and South Hobart, adding to the existing locations Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point.

And Conroy set off a stormy debate when he blundered in tabling a January 2009-dated ACCC document, which was marked confidential, containing a valuation of just under $8 billion for Telstra's consumer access network, in parliament. Telstra has valued its own network at $33 billion.

Sponge Bob

bealtine wrote: »

The analyst also indicated the New Zealand and Dutch governments were actively investigating the NBN and that mutual cooperation between the four nations would continue.

The only thing these all silly people ( including Obama) have in common is that they are implementing universal or near universal fibre to the home . Ireland shall have no shrift with that fibre rubbish as we know.

Eamon Ryan is happy that we have satellite broadband and shot down the attempt Shane Ross made to improve matters last year.

Ryan never mentioned fibre, he has bet the farm on dodgy 3g as his technology of choice and hopes to be on a nice ministerial pension and that it will be some one elses problem

By then , of course, there shall be no economy

http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2008-10-22.468.0&s=eamon+ryan+2008-09-01..2008-12-31+section%3Asp+segment%3A2907571#g471.0

There is a genuine choice for the customer between a wireless, fixed line, satellite or cable operator