Media & FAQs

Media releases

Frequently asked questions

1. Where can I view my submission or submissions made from my region?

The Submissions page has all the submissions made to the committee that were not ‘confidential’. 222 submissions were made to the committee.

The loaded submissions state the name and region of the person or organisation making the submission. You can use the search function above the submissions to search for specific areas or key terms within all of the online submissions.

2. Can I still make a submission to the 2011–12 Regional Telecommunications Review?

The deadline for receiving submissions has passed and the committee provided its report to the government on 5 March 2012.

3. What kind of issues did the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review committee assess?

The 2011–12 Regional Telecommunications Review seeks to build upon the progress achieved since the 2008 review. In doing so, the Minister asked the committee to have particular regard for the opportunities that the NBN creates for the emerging digital economy to improve the delivery of:

  • health and education outcomes
  • business efficiencies and opportunities
  • growth in local economies
  • government services and programs, including local government services

The committee was also interested in other telecommunications issues that are important to regional, rural and remote communities. These include:

  • the communications needs of Indigenous Australians, particularly those that live in rural and remote communities
  • developments in the terrestrial and satellite mobile phone sector
  • the consumer concerns of people and businesses in regional, rural and remote Australia.

The committee’s approach to the 2011–12 RTR was to take a snapshot of current service availability in different areas and to look to the future to identify what further steps are needed for regional Australia to progressively take advantage of improved broadband services, including those which will become available as the NBN is deployed.

4. Why is the committee only assessing telecommunications issues?

The 2002 Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (the Estens Inquiry) recommended that the government put in place a process to regularly review telecommunications services in regional areas and to assess whether important new service advancements are delivered equitably.

In 2005, the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 was amended to establish the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee and to ensure regular reviews of the adequacy of the telecommunication services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia. The amendments required the first review to commence before the end of 2008, and subsequent reviews to occur three years after the government responds to each preceding review.

5. How has the government responded to the recommendations of the Glasson Committee?

The first Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, chaired by Dr Bill Glasson AO, assessed telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia during 2007–08.

The committee’s report, known as the Glasson Report, was tabled in Parliament on 15 October 2008. In response to the Glasson Report, the government committed $74 million for three programs:

  • The $60 million Digital Regions Initiative funds innovative broadband applications that improve education, health and emergency services in regional areas.
  • $8.9 million was provided to continue and enhance the Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme for Australians living and working in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage.
  • An additional $4.7 million was provided for the refocused Indigenous Communications Program to improve basic telecommunications services, basic public internet access and training to remote Indigenous communities. This brought the total funding for this program to $31 million

The 2008 Glasson Report and the government’s Statement of Response is available on the Department of Broadband, Communications the Digital Economy’s website on the Regional Telecommunications Review page

6. When will the 2011-12 committee report its findings?

The committee’s report was provided to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy on 5 March 2012. Once it is tabled, the report will be made publicly available.

To be notified when the committee’s report is tabled you can register your interest by following the instructions under the Register for Updates tab.

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