[LINK] NBN low income scheme

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Jan Whitaker
> Sent: Wednesday, 26 October 2011 8:11 AM
> To: link at anu.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [LINK] NBN low income scheme
> 
> 
> At 10:33 PM 25/10/2011, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
> >been made aware of proposed NBN charges, might expect
> >such low-income access schemes be made available. Who, what, 
> when & how 
> >will need careful, not ipso-facto, consideration as you suggest 
> >Richard.
> 
> Who pays for concession discounts for other utilities? Is it a 
> government subsidy to the company or do the companies just build it 
> into their own expense models? I would see this as no different, 
> especially for telephone services. Perhaps it's something that could 
> be combined with some of the hardware recycling programs because 
> those who don't have connection now will likely not have the required 
> hardware either.
> 
> Voice comms continuity is a basic requirement issue in some way, be 
> it wireless or wired. Internet should continue to be optional, but a 
> possible discounted option available, particularly in homes with 
> school age children.

I disagree. Internet is no longer Optional. Internet is a Utility, yet
is treated as an optional add-on. When Internet is granted Utility
status by a Government that realises that the growth of the economy is
linked to information flow, communication capability and education, then
we might start recovery from the depression "we had to have". (Just
thought I'd get that cliché in before it became a political sound-byte.)

There is in Australia a curious correlation between the
number/percentage of Housing commission homes and internet utilisation.

In NSW for example, there are an estimated 2,825,250 [1] Dwelling Units
versus 672616 [2] Housing Commision Dwellings.

That represents 23% of dwellings.

Possibly Internet needs to be provided to each and every housing
commission home as part of the NBN USO.

(And don’t tell me the NBN doesn’t have a USO. Universal Broadband was
the justification for it's existence.)

Ref:  

[1] Extrapolation from :
nsw_household_dwelling_projections_2006_2036_2008release.pdf
[2] Bonds Held - LGA_Bond Tab, Rent_Report96_11q2.xls REPORT No 96 June
Quarter 2011 NSW Department of Housing


TomK