IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Digital Economy Strategy, recently announced at ceBIT Australia 2011, has been warmly received by the industry. But analysts are less certain of the strategy.

When Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, lifted the curtains on the elusive Digital Economy Strategy at CeBit 2011 in late May, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

The strategy contains eight ambitious goals for Australia to achieve with the help of high-speed broadband by 2020. These include pushing Australia into the top five OECD countries with households connected to broadband, doubling the level of workers that telecommunicate and closing the gap between businesses in capital cities and those in regional areas.

It started with the music industry, followed by the publishing industry. The retail sector is learning its lessons the hard way but it is now beginning to understand the new environment. The entertainment industry is still trying to stop the tsunami by employing armies of lawyers, but it will soon also be engulfed by the changes. The banking sector is making a much smoother transition, while the demise of Kodak is another example of ‘missing the boat’.

The report, titled "A Snapshot of Australia's Digital Future to 2050", says information and communications technology underpinned by ubiquitous high-speed broadband will transform the economy to such an extent that Australia will no longer be known for its dependence on the export of natural resources over the next half-century.

The Victorian government is seeking public feedback on a draft plan to increase the state's ICT skills base.

"Building a robust and highly-skilled ICT workforce is a challenging task that can only be achieved through joint action of government, industry and education and this collaborative approach flagged in the draft plan will continue to be the basis for ongoing work that will make sure Victoria remains ahead of the pack in ICT," Victoria's technology minister, Gordon Rich-Phillips, said in a statement.

The new association, Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria (DLTV), will come into effect on January 1, 2014.

“The decision to merge the organisations comes from, I suppose, creating some efficiencies and better servicing a wider audience of educators,” Joedy Wallis, DLTV’s CEO tells Australian Teacher Magazine.

These technology platforms will support the state’s foray into a “digital future,” and are seen as areas of strategic importance.

Funding for these platforms will be drawn from the Digital Futures Fund. This DFF initiative brings together peak government bodies, as well as industry and R&D partners.

The state government of Victoria has made significant progress towards completion of its Victorian Government ICT Strategy and is "on track" to complete 50 specific action items by the end of this year as planned, the state's ICT minister has confirmed.

Speaking to more than 350 attendees at a strategic update organised by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), Victorian ICT minister Gordon Rich-Phillips said the government's strategy – which was opened for consultation in late 2012 and launched early in 2013 along with 50 specific actions to be accomplished by the end of 2014 – "is tracking as planned".

According to Rich-Philips, in order for the State to remain ahead in ICT, government, industry and education sector have to work together to develop and grow a robust and highly-skilled ICT workforce.

Bekele was initially scheduled to speak but alleges she was prevented from doing so due to a dispute with the African Union.

Australia 3.0 is a unique opportunity for all sections of industry and commerce to debate how the Australian economy can best be transformed to significantly increase productivity and competitiveness to secure a prosperous future. Through working with the major sectors in our economy to identify their critical issues and work with the ICT industry can we remove barriers to innovation that is so vital for Australia's future.

Australia is gunning to be ranked in the top five OECD countries by 2020 for broadband connections to the home and for the number of businesses using online opportunities as part of the Government's freshly launched National Digital Economy Strategy.

Australia currently ranks 18th in OECD broadband connection rankings with 23.4 broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants.

Launching the strategy at the Cebit conference, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy said: "maximising the benefit of the digital economy requires action by all levels of government, industry and the community as a whole.”

"The digital revolution itself," said Australia Post managing director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour, "is the worst enemy of our business."

Speaking at an Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce lunch, Fahour described the first months of Australia Post's five-year restructure, expected to align it with the nation's falling postal demand.

AMA Federal President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said faster broadband would make it easier for doctors in rural and regional areas to consult with city colleagues when diagnosing and treating patients.

Australia is already a strong services economy with proven strengths in the financial sector, education, tourism and health.

The new national broadband network will play an important role in enabling and extending each of these sectors, allowing us to develop innovative systems we can take to the world.

The federal government will pour $270.7 million into regional broadband incentives, two weeks after it attempted to use the funds for its National Broadband Network (NBN).

The funds for the Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) will be tipped in over the next four years to provide Internet access solutions including satellite and wireless to regional Australia.

The Federal Government has released a paper outlining what it believes should be the key areas of focus for the country to maximise the benefits of a digital economy.

The 104-page report, titled, Australia's Digital Economy: Future Directions was developed by the Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy and is seen as a road map for the way the ICT industry, government and community can work together.

The team has been chosen for the 2020 Summit. When Canberra plays host to 1000 participants on April 19 and 20, the ICT industry (our industry), will be represented by a mere handful of people.

Where are our flag wavers?

The Minister for Rural Development, Phillip Costa, says more than $11 million will be provided over the next five years to service communities not covered by the national broadband network.

Titled Australia's Digital Economy: Future Directions, it examines key areas of focus for Government, industry and the community in promoting Australia's success in the digital economy.

The paper features case studies of 12 Australians who have successfully engaged with the digital economy.

“This project is well aligned with the Rudd Government’s vision for Australia’s digital future,” Senator Conroy said.