Keating's Innovations statement

[ianp@peg.apc.org]

yes, the statements on access seem to be a few carrots short of a
sackful.  No Community Applications Fund, for instance, as
recommended by BSEG and NISC.

And the statement that because "at least two (ISPs) offer access
on the basis of local call cost" to the Internet from rural areas
"will reduce the disparity of costs between urban and rural/remote
areas for Internet access " doesn't hold up at all when they both
use the same service and are charged $13 per hour for it for rural
access by Telstra. The cost of access by this service (Austpac)
has risen, and for most country people the cost of access has
risen.

Also interested to know the extent to which "Accessing Australia",
a combination of previously announced measures such as library
access and CIN, will be "integrated", as the statement says.

Oh, there are some good things too. But access issues and issues
of community involvement in on line media have not been fully
addressed.

Ian Peter