Rural services and planning [was:Re: Reasons for BRI ISDN]

[ianp@peg.apc.org]

At 02:56 PM 14/11/96 +1100, Robert Hart wrote:
>On Wed, 13 Nov 1996, Jan Whitaker wrote:

And it really gladened my heart to see both contributions.

I don't know who is reading this, but a working group on teleregional
development has been meeting at CIRCIT in Melbourne for some time. I have
attended when possible, it is convened by Marina Cavill
(mcavill@ozonline.com.au). Pretty bloody difficult for most of us to get
there though.

There is a substantial body of research on this.

If there is sufficient interest, maybe we need a separate mailing list to
discuss changing the current situation, or I would happily respond privately
if this Canberra based list wants to get back to the business of
governing.<grin> 

But before you do, oh government so far from us, please consider:

>> I've read that urbanisation is one of the problems that many countries are
>> facing in that the toll on infrastructure as a result of overcrowding in
>> cities has been drastic.  
> 
>> The supposed promise of telecommunications development in some places has
>> been the ability to do business and other life tasks remotely, 
>> 
>> ...it seems that Australian governments are missing the opportunity
>> to build a proper infrastructure to  attend
>> to regional development. Is this the concern of the Commonwealth or the
>> States?  

Do the policy makers understand that an investment in this
>> connectivity AND putting it to use wisely ...can divert some of this
dislocation before it becomes a
>> problem? 
>
Do they understand that a simple change in buying patterns can have a no
cost, substantial economic affect on regional areas? 

>Good communications and access to information are now a pre-requisite (not
>an optional extra) to functioning in Australia's and the world's economy

>However, I have yet to see any government (state or federal - or even
>overseas, such as the UK) make any real commitment to regional development
>let alone grasp this critical point about Australia's economy:  

Actually there are some very good examples overseas under very different
telecommunications regimes, where regional carriers are more frequent, and
states and/or local government have co-operated with regional carriers and
communities. Some good examples in USA and particularly Canada, and some
support from national governments as well. The case that such models can
stimulate economic and social development in regional areas is pretty well
established.Both Canada and USA have programs in this general area. 

>most new
>growth will come from new (knowledge based) industries not traditional
>industry which is capital intensive (labour non-intensive)  such as
>agricultural and resource development.

Yep.

Check some of our theories at www.norlink.net.au and some of the links from
that if you want more info on some of the approaches we are taking up here.  


Ian Peter