shirro

The Internet's true worth lies in freedom and diversity.

Free market. Freedom to innovate. Freedom to learn. Freedom of speech. Diversity of opinion. Diversity of control and ownership.

Any government which wishes a vibrant digital economy needs to embrace freedom and diversity.

Infrastructure wise we need freedom to compete. The Telstra monopoly is good for their shareholoders and many Australians profit from it. Unfortunately it is bad for the national interest.

The NBN will simply establish a new monopoly. Even if skillfully crafted to allow open access to competition, the monopoly will establish a dominant technology. This will be a technology we will have to live with for a long time and may be quickly surpassed. It would be wiser to have a blend of technologies that is arrived at by the market.

The Internet is not a television service or video game. It is an essential service that underpins the digital economy. Carriage MUST be neutral and unfiltered in regards to content. Law enforcement needs to be carried out at the endpoints, not in transit.

The digital economy is a highly globalised economy. Jobs and money will be easily lost if governments damage or are perceived to be anti-Internet.

Geography and the laws of physics put us at a huge technical disadvantage. The government can have a strong leadership role and have a massive impact on Australia's digital competitiveness by acting to boost the nations connections to the rest of the world. This would get rid of capped Internet and put us on a more equal footing with the global competition.

Good luck. This is an area where a progressive government can significantly improve matters.

Now is not the time to pander to social conservatives or embark on massive public works. What we need is firm leadership with a commitment to those ideals that best represent the Internet.

I believe any government can rise to this challenge. Be brave.