Australian state to get public wireless broadband

29.11.2006
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Morris Iemma Wednesday announced a plan to make NSW the first Australian state to offer free wireless broadband access in major central business district (CBD) areas within the next three years.

The plan involves the government working with the private sector to introduce the technology.

"As one of the world's great cities to do business, visit or live in, Sydney deserves state-of-the-art broadband coverage accessible by everyone," Iemma said, adding universal access to wireless broadband will boost the state's economy and make NSW more attractive for businesses.

"The business community and government agencies will have increased opportunities to deliver services more efficiently and to more people," he said. "Tourists and business visitors, now accustomed to this type of technology in other global cities such as San Francisco and Paris, will have improved e-mail and Internet access."

Iemma expects this "new direction" in technology infrastructure to provide "enormous" flow-on benefits for local companies and residents.

The NSW government will look to wireless broadband providers to make the proposal a reality in the next three years.