[LINK] Benefits of a digital economy enabled by the National Broadband Network

[George Bray]

There's lots of discussion about the value of the NBN these days,
particularly with calls for analyses of the financial and social
impacts. Here's some articles and papers that bring additional
perspective to the discussion.

Is it even possible to construct an accurate analysis of the impacts
of applications and services that don't exist yet?

George

Cost Benefit Delusion of the NBN
<http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/09/17/cost-benefit-delusions-of-the-nbn/>

Broadband and the Missing Cost-Benefit Analysis
<http://economics.com.au/?p=6220>

Benefits of a digital economy enabled by the National Broadband Network
<http://www.dbcde.gov.au/digital_economy/benefits_of_digital_economy_from_nbn>

Value of the NBN for Teleworking
PDF 613KB <http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/130158/ImpactsofteleworkingundertheNBN.pdf>

The NBN will be a potential catalyst for growth in teleworking.

The ubiquity and capacity of the NBN technology mean that there will
be greater certainty of the technological capacity of teleworkers.
This reduces uncertainty about whether an employee can retain their
productivity levels when working from home. This also provides greater
remote monitoring certainty to employers, as worker output differences
more clearly relate to productivity differences.

The NBN will serve as an important enabler through the other
technological services it unlocks. For example, high-quality
videoconferencing that is available with the high speeds and bandwidth
and lower latency of the NBN will improve connectivity with remote
workers. Collaborative workplaces with shared desktop viewing and
other capabilities are also more readily available, which can be
utilised between business offices and with teleworkers.

The wide range of potential applications may mean that scope for
teleworking is increased. Teleworking is presently viable in
occupations that are predominantly desk-based, however service
industries have relied upon face-to-face interaction, while many ‘blue
collar’ industries have historically been location-specific, and these
factors have limited the potential for teleworking. The NBN may unlock
new applications and business models that make some of these roles
amenable to teleworking.


Financial and externality impacts of high-speed broadband for Telehealth
PDF 853KB <http://www.dbcde.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/130159/Financialandexternalityimpactsofhigh-speedbroadbandfortelehealth-311.pdf>

Extract from exec summary:

There are four main components of tele-health.
■	Real time (or synchronous) tele-health involves “live” consultations
in a wide range of specialities ranging from dermatology and
cardiology to psychiatry. Consultations may occur between medical
professionals and patients, or among medical professionals only (for
example, a GP and a specialist).
■	Store and Forward (or asynchronous) tele-health is the transmission
of medical data – such as echocardiograms (ECGs), photographs of skin
lesions, blood glucose levels, and x-rays – for remote diagnosis.
■	Tele-homecare (or remote monitoring is the transmission of medical
data for disease and injury management and prevention. Examples
include monitoring of patients undergoing dialysis, remote foetal
monitoring, or support and care to elderly people with chronic
conditions living at home.
■	Tele-education is the transmission of medical information, either
for the training of health professionals or to assist members of the
public to self-manage their health (including tele-triage).


--
George Bray, Canberra, Australia. http://geobray.com