While some of the major details are still evolving (...for instance, whether or not Australia will hire private-sector multinational IT companies like Cisco/CSCO, Siemens/SI, IBM, or even Google/GOOG to help out), Australia's government recently committed to a highly ambitious eight-year, $30.5 Billion Internet infrastructure spending project that will aim to significantly boost the country's current broadband network capacity and also, preserve 200,000 Australian JOBS. Per Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, the country's LARGEST EVER infrastructure project to date "will support 25,000 jobs every year over the eight-year life of the project", and will also provide citizens with Internet access 100 times faster than currently available speeds.Some additional bullet points:
* The Australian government plans to form and temporarily own 51% of the new company that will be responsible for making the initial investments of approx $3.4 Billion in order to build and operate the new high-speed Internet network...The government plans to sell its stake in the company five years after the project's completion
* In order to FINANCE the entire $30 Billion undertaking, the government currently plans to sell up to $16 Billion in BONDS to the public and also plans to raise $14.3 Billion via 'private (equity) investment'
* The plan's seemingly earnest objective is to supply 90% of Australian homes with Internet connections of up to 100 megabits per second and the remaining 10% with speeds of up to 12 megabits per second
* According to JPMorgan's Chase & Company's Internet Investment Guide, about 17% of Australia's population had access to high-speed Internet connections in 2008 (this rate compares to 19% in both the U.S. and Japan...and also to 26% in both South Korea and Switzerland)
* Australia's unique geography (many cities densely located on its coast, the sparsely-populated Outback) has made Broadband advancement a difficult issue in the past
* Kevin Rudd, Australia's Prime Minister, made Broadband infrastructure expansion a priority during his 2007 political campaign...According to Reuters, Rudd's current popularity is near-record levels in domestic opinion surveys
* In addition to the $30 Billion (43 Billion Australian dollars) pledged to stimulate Australia's economy via this massive Broadband plan, Australia's government has pledged approx $57 Billion (78 Billion Australian dollars) in economic stimulus since September 2008 (the now infamous date marking the collapse of the artist formerly known as Lehman Brothers)
bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akD14lio0T3k
reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews
Data Courtesy: Bloomberg + Reuters
Full Disclosure: I own shares of IBM and GOOG.
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