[LINK] Regional Australia to benefit from e-commerce: report

[Rachel Polanskis]

On Thu, 26 Oct 2000, Tony Barry wrote:

> >Regional Australia to benefit from e-commerce: report
> >The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator
> >Richard Alston, today officially launched the report, E-commerce Across
> >Australia, confirming that regional Australia is set to benefit significantly
> >from e-commerce over the coming two decades.

Link Institute comments on  "Ecommerce Across Australia" paper.

Master Disillusionist, Prof Clearfeel stated "I think e-commerce is 
very useful and pertinent to Regional Australia - if only they could 
find a place to dial into".  Prof Clearfeel, returning from the regional 
town of Didjabringatinnyalong after attending the recent "Dialup Challenge"
was adamant that ecommerce would have a future once the locals can
keep their connections up long enough to load the vortal leading 
to the disclaimer page that covered the order form.

Dialup Challenge Champion Norm Biltong from Wheelthebarrowback said 
"I fell asleep waiting for the 
first banner ad to load.  I have one of these new 56k modems but my 
Service Provider keeps telling me that I can only expect 2400 baud 
even though I'm only ten kilometers from the Black Stump exchange".
"The judges woke me and said I'd won the Challenge since I was the 
only one able to get a call through, thanks to line congestion."  

"I wasn't actually able to do an e-commerce transaction, though" he said. 
"I have only just applied for a credit card but they closed the local bank
last week and I have to get the details sent to Dubbo and back before I 
can do anything more".

Prof Clearfeel said "The Dialup Challenge proves that Regional Australians
are (not that) far beyond other 3rd world countries when it comes to access 
to the latest in Information Technology services".  "Regional Australians have 
got it sweet", said the Professor.  "Regional Australians should be proud 
that the Government is doing so much for them, unlike countries such as 
Turkmenistan, which don't even have telephones yet". 

The Minister for Communications and the Yarts was unavailable for 
comment, as he was apparently outside the CDMA network umbrella and 
didn't seem to be able to find his telecard. 

Prof. Clearfeel returns to the capital tomorrow to explain to the 
Senate Comittee on Regional access that WAP is a protocol not something 
you do to the phone when you can't get through....


Rachel Polanskis                 University of Western Sydney, Nepean
Senior UNIX Admin                PO Box 10, Kingswood NSW 2747
Systems && Operations            Information Technology Services, Kingswood
r.polanskis@nepean.uws.edu.au    Phone: +61 (0247) 360 291