Australia: $ 2 billion for nationwide broadband coverage

Australian Prime Minister John Howard has just announced a $ 2 billion project to provide high-speed, low-cost Internet connectivity across the entire area of ​​Kanchuru.

The most "bold" in this project is Optus, a subsidiary of SingTel telecom carrier in Australia. SingTel is currently Southeast Asia's largest mobile network, and the value of the contract between Optus and the Australian government is up to $ 958 million. Under the contract, Optus will partner with the rural financial firm Elders to build a national broadband network infrastructure.

Optus, which won the bid to build a broadband network in the US $ 2 billion project.Source: AFP

The goal is that by June 2009, Australia will be able to provide broadband coverage across the country with a minimum speed of 12 Mbps. " We will bring broadband to 99% of Australia's population in just 2 years, " Howard said.

Minister of Information Helen Coonan said wireless is the best choice for rural Australia, by installing underground cables to every roof and farm almost "impossible mission", especially when a large area of ​​Kanchuru is a barren desert.

According to Ms. Coonan, the speed of 12 Mbps is obviously not the final limit. " Along with the evolution of technology, this minimum speed will be greatly increased. 70 Mb / second is not out of the question ."

However, the Labor Party - the opposition in the Government - reiterated the plan, saying it was a "too late, too little to move people before the election". Moreover, this plan has discrimination between urban people and rural people.

" The government proposed two separate systems: a good quality system for cities, and a second-class system for rural areas, " criticized the Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd.

Earlier, the Party proposed a $ 4.7 billion project to build fiber-optic networks, covering 98% of the Australian population.

Trong Cam