The Future

Use of broadband internet access is becoming increasingly widespread across Australia as people become more aware of the benefits. Usage is also likely to become more common in Newcastle and the Hunter region generally as service availability increases and technology changes begin to take affect. In this article, we take a look at what the future holds for broadband in the Hunter and how it may influence our lives over the coming years.

Availability
Broadband, and ADSL in particular, is available to most suburban areas of Newcastle. Some outlying areas of the Hunter though do not have access. Telstra has a program to further extend the coverage currently available by rolling out additional infrastructure. This involves the addition of more ADSL ports at current exchanges and the addition of smaller ADSL-enabled exchanges in certain areas.

In Australia there are approximately 1,000 telephone exchanges that are now ADSL-enabled and they service around 75% of the population. Telstra also has a "demand register" where people without ADSL access can lodge an expression for future ADSL access in their area. Government funding is also being provided to help with expanding this ADSL availability. Telstra is also in the process of trialling ADSL technology that can operate with lower available bandwidth, thereby increasing the range of its current network.

New Technology
Technology continues to change rapidly in the area of broadband internet access. ISP’s are currently testing new DSL technology known as ADSL2 and ADSL2+. These new standards aim to improve the speed, range and performance of broadband access.

Voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology, which allows phone calls to be made over broadband internet connection, is already receiving plenty of media attention. Many of the major ISP’s are already trialling or beginning to provide the service and Telstra has also undertaken trials in anticipation of provision in 2005. VoIP technology could provide substantial cost savings for many businesses over the longer term.

E-Commerce
Businesses of all sizes continue to use the internet to run and expand their operations. While the vast majority of businesses now have internet access, only about half of them have taken advantage of the efficiencies that broadband can offer. The opportunity still exists for Hunter businesses to develop their operations based on a broadband platform.

The Government and relevant industry bodies continue to provide support for businesses to adopt new e-commerce initiatives. The Government has a website to promote understanding of on-line business practice at www.e-businessguide.gov.au. Another valuable resource can be found at www.broadbandxchange.org. This is a website established by SPAN (Service Providers Industry Association).

Conclusion
Broadband internet access is set to become a major factor in everyone’s lives over the next few years. The benefits it can provide to both individual and corporate users will ensure that it becomes commonplace in the near future. It’s time to get on the bus before you get run over!

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