Instead, education was the big IT winner. But while Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd promised to deliver internet access to the nation's schools at speeds of up 100Mbps, it seems there is no such plan to link doctors, hospitals and other medical providers to the proposed fibre-to-the-node network.
Royal Darwin Hospital has developed Australia's first online medication management system where bedside laptops replace handwritten patient records.
Weiterlesen: Australia: Online prescriptions - no GP squiggles
Communications Minister Helen Coonan said the federal government would provide $2.7 million towards the eHealth for Remote Australia project.
Weiterlesen: Australia: Flying Doctors to access medical records
A report from the US has revealed Australia has become the Third World of broadband developed nations, ranking 26th out of 30 countries for its transfer speeds.
The funding has been awarded to the SkyConnect satellite network, which will increase bandwidth to NT educational institutions and health clinics and enable remote health and education applications.
Weiterlesen: Australia: AU$4.5m for NT e-health satellite broadband