Tolmartyr

Congratulations on starting a new chapter in allowing the people of Australia to have a direct line of communication with Government. The Digital Economy will play a very important role in Australia's future and to ensure its success we must have a National Broadband Network that is accessible and affordable for all Australians. Unfortunately in Australia we have some of the slowest internet connections and pay some of the highest prices in the OECD. This is because the broadband internet market in Australia is dominated by Telstra's monopoly on the copper network. Telstra charges some of the highest rates in the world for internet data, Telstra has sought to slow innovation by restricting broadband speeds and has been referred to the ACCC for its anti-competitive behaviour. The underlying problem with the broadband market in Australia is Telstra's monopoly. If you want the Digital Economy to thrive and to flourish then the dominance of Telstra has to be addressed and resolved through structural separation of the NBN and through regulation of pricing by the ACCC. The NBN must be about serving the interests of all Australian consumers not just the interests of Telstra shareholders. If you can resolve this problem then the Digital Economy will be a success.