Australia brings telecoms to indigenous communities (fwd)

Mon Sep 10 17:46:14 UTC 2007

Australia brings telecoms to indigenous communities

10 Sep 2007 11:43
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39289173,00.htm

Projects to supply communities with internet and phone access have received
grants from the Australian government

The Australian government has announced a slew of grants to projects which
it hopes will extend communications coverage to remote indigenous
communities, as part of a AU$36.6m (£14.8m) telecommunications improvement
program.

The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
(DCITA) announced 35 schemes across 130 communities, which will receive
almost AU$2m in funding.

The projects are focused on advancing web skills, training, creating
indigenous-language online content, including business portals, setting up
videoconferencing facilities and installing community internet-access
programmes.

Internet access will be brought to 84 communities by 21 applicants, who will
receive hardware, software and content filters. They will also get funding
to help meet running and maintenance costs until the end of June 2010.

The majority of the projects are based in Queensland or the Northern
Territory.

According to the Australian government, 300 so-called "community phones"
will be established in indigenous areas from 2008. The phones will be
housed in ruggedised casings and are destined for "shared public use",
operated with prepaid cards.

The locations of communities that will receive the phones will be announced
"shortly", according to the communications minister.

DCITA is now looking for vendors to install and maintain the phones and is
calling for expressions of interest from suppliers who will help determine
which technologies and services will be associated with the phones.

Story URL:
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39289173,00.htm