Part 2: Expense Measures (Continued)
Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Australian Broadband Guarantee — refocusing
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | -4.1 | -4.9 | -4.0 | - | - |
The increased availability of metro‑comparable broadband services to residential and small business premises has reduced the funds required for the delivery of the Australian Broadband Guarantee by $16.4 million over three years. The Government will raise the minimum standard for services provided under the program to increase speed and download limits. The level of financial assistance available to eligible residents or businesses is not affected.
Some of the savings from the Australian Broadband Guarantee will be provided to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy for a $3.5 million investment in continued technical advice and geospatial mapping capacity.
Community broadcasters' transition to digital television
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | - | - | - | - | - |
The Government will provide $2.6 million in 2009‑10 to assist the community television broadcasting sector to meet the costs of commencing digital simulcasts.
The Government will also temporarily allocate vacant spectrum, previously known as Channel A, to the community broadcasting sector until 2013. This will allow community television licensees in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney to simulcast their analog television services until the switch to digital‑only television in capital cities in 2013. A new community licensee in Perth will commence digital‑only broadcasts in early 2010.
The cost of this measure will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Further information can be found in the press release of 4 November 2009 by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Cyber‑safety enhancement
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 1.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | -25.8 | 2.8 | -0.4 | -0.7 | -3.0 |
| Attorney-General's Department | - | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Total | -24.4 | 8.6 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 3.0 |
| Related capital ($m) | |||||
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 0.8 | 0.8 | - | - | - |
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | - | 0.1 | - | - | - |
| Total | 0.8 | 0.9 | - | - | - |
The Government will reallocate existing cyber‑safety funding of $40.8 million available over five years and provide additional ongoing funding of $3.0 million per annum to enhance a range of initiatives to help protect children from inappropriate material on the internet.
The Government will introduce legislative amendments to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to require all Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to filter overseas‑hosted Refused Classification (RC) material on an RC content list to be maintained by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). On receipt of a complaint regarding material not already on the RC content list, the material will be referred by the ACMA to the Classification Board within the Attorney‑General's Department for formal classification.
The Government will also introduce a grants program to assist and encourage ISPs to offer to customers wider forms of filtering on a commercial basis. Additional funding will also be provided to the ACMA to enhance cyber‑safety education, awareness raising and counselling services.
This measure delivers on the Government's election commitment. Further information can be found in the media release of 15 December 2009 from the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy — program efficiencies
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | - | -1.9 | -0.4 | -0.7 | - |
The Government will terminate the ABC and SBS Digital Interference Scheme a year early due to limited demand, providing savings of $1.5 million in 2010‑11.
The Government will also reduce funding under the Satellite Phone Subsidy Scheme due to reduced demand, providing savings of $1.5 million over three years.
Digital Television Switchover — Regional Blackspot Solution
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | 13.6 | 20.0 | 41.8 | 38.7 | 45.6 |
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 5.7 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp |
| Special Broadcasting Service Corporation | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp |
| Total | 19.3 | 25.5 | 45.9 | 41.8 | 47.3 |
| Related capital ($m) | |||||
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | .. | .. |
| Australian Broadcasting Corporation | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp |
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 3.5 | - | - | - | - |
| Special Broadcasting Service Corporation | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp | nfp |
| Total | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
The Government will provide $375.4 million over 12 years to assist commercial and national broadcasters provide a digital television satellite solution for those Australians unable to receive a terrestrial digital transmission.
The funding will be used to:
- build a new digital satellite broadcasting service for remote and regional viewers who are unable to receive digital television;
- assist broadcasters in upgrading a number of existing regional analog 'self‑help' transmission facilities to transmit in digital; and
- provide satellite conversion subsidies to eligible households currently served by analog television self‑help retransmission sites that are not converted to digital by the broadcasters.
This measure includes funding of $23.6 million over six years to the Australian Communications and Media Authority for spectrum planning, licensing and regulatory requirements associated with digital conversion and for the cessation of analog television broadcasts.
The expenditure for the National Broadcasters is not for publication (nfp) as contracts with satellite service providers are commercial‑in‑confidence.
Further information on the regional blackspot solution can be found in the media releases of 5 January 2010 and 14 April 2010 from the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
National Broadband Network — implementation
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | -0.9 | 14.0 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 1.8 |
| Department of Finance and Deregulation | - | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Total | -0.9 | 14.6 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 2.2 |
The Government will provide $23.4 million over five years to continue to support the implementation of the National Broadband Network.
Funding of $12.9 million over four years will be provided to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to support the implementation and regulation of the National Broadband Network including: policy and regulatory support for the rollout; overseeing construction of the regional backbone transmission links; and managing the Government's shareholding in NBN Co. A further $2.1 million over four years will be provided to the Department of Finance and Deregulation to assist in managing the Government's shareholding in NBN Co, given the department's role in advising the Minister for Finance and Deregulation as joint shareholder.
The Government will also provide a further $16.0 million over two years to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy for a national information campaign, focused on raising public awareness of the value of superfast broadband which will be delivered to Australian households, businesses and organisations through the rollout of the National Broadband Network. Of this, $7.6 million in 2009‑10 will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
NBN Co Limited — regulatory framework
| 2009‑10 | 2010‑11 | 2011‑12 | 2012‑13 | 2013‑14 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | 3.4 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Related revenue ($m) | |||||
| Australian Communications and Media Authority | 3.4 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
The Government will provide $24.0 million over five years to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to establish and deliver the proposed regulatory arrangements for the National Broadband Network (NBN).
This measure will fund the ACCC to regulate NBN Co, including for:
- implementing specific access arrangements for the NBN, as well as initial preparatory work and industry consultation;
- undertaking regulatory reporting requirements; and
- providing advice on pricing and quality of service.
The costs of this measure will be fully recovered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority from annual carrier licence charges collected under the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997.
Further information can be found in the joint press release of 24 February 2010 by the Minister for Finance and Deregulation and the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
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