Connecting Australia! Wireless Broadband: Submission to the Commonwealth of Australia, House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, November 2002

Wireless broadband has an important role to play in extending the reach of broadband services to all Australians. There is no one particular wireless broadband technology that can solve all telecommunications problems. The future will see a mix of various technologies and the market should be permitted to determine, over time, which ones best suit particular applications. The government should maintain a general regulatory policy of ‘technology-neutrality’ (not favouring any particular technology, whether it be wireless or wire-line). Specific measures should be put in place to extend the understanding and takeup of wireless
broadband.
The recommendations contained in this report reflect the broad observations and statements of principle set out above. If they are adopted by the government, they would greatly facilitate the expansion of wireless broadband services in metropolitan, regional and rural areas. The Committee also has made recommendations to assist the hearing-impaired gain access to
wireless broadband services, to improve the regulatory framework and to preserve the power of police and intelligence services to protect the community against illegal activities.
Many people contributed to this inquiry and, in particular, the Committee benefited from the 60 submissions and many witnesses who addressed us at our eight public hearings. Also,
the Committee acknowledges the invaluable assistance of Professor Harris and Dr Borg (of the Plasma Research Laboratory of the ANU) who were contracted to produce a draft report.

Chris Pyne MP
Chair
23 October 200