The Australian Federal Government has slashed fundings for the Australian Broadband Guarantee subsidy from $271 million in the 2008/09 budget over four years, to $230 million over the same period in this years 2009/10 budget. 

Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy appear to have reduced spendings on initiatives such as the ABG in favor to support new programs such as Cyber Safety, the child protection initiative. The ABG funding reduction corresponds with the Governments $43 billion national broadband network plans to extend high speed broadband to regional Australia.

The Australian Broadband Guarantee was originally introduced as a $2500 incentive for National and Regional Internet Service Providers to offer Satellite, Wireless and ADSL services, with Internet access speeds comparable to metropolitan areas, to those in rural, regional and remote areas of Australia.

It seems that Broadband for the Bush will just have to wait, yet again, for the next ‘Government Broadband Project’ that will address backhaul and offer those Aussies who live outside major metro areas the high speed broadband services that they deserve.

The joint Optus/Elders ‘Opel’ contract which was meant to connect regional Australia with Broadband has been officially terminated by the Federal Government.

Opel was granted almost $1Billion ($958M) back in June 2007 to fund Broadband Internet development for the bush. However, the funding was awarded to Opel by the Liberal Government who, since then was replaced by the newly elected Labor Government.

The terminated contract was believed to have been canceled through the lack of sufficient coverage requirements, although Opel has stated that it is capable of meeting all the essential objectives.

Read more at news.com.au

One of the Federal Government’s Broadband initiative schemes include the ‘Australian Broadband Guarantee’ program. So what is it and how can it help you? The ABG aims to provide similar Metro Broadband services to those outside these areas who otherwise have insufficient Internet access or none at all. The overall agenda of the ABG, along with supplying comparable services to these areas, is to plug broadband black spots and provide Broadband access rights to rural and regional Australians under HiBIS and Broadband Connect programs.

Broadband Internet Providers will be eligible under ABG guidelines to receive funding from the Government in order to introduce new services into many new areas. More than $160 million dollars has been assigned to the program and will be divided up among Providers respectively. Current Australian Providers already signed up to the ABG include Telstra BigPond, Westnet and Internode. These ISPs will develop and establish new Broadband services in many areas and deliver Broadband types such as ADSL, ADSL2+ and WiMAX Wireless to some Aussie residents for the first time.

Broadband Guide will endeavor to keep you up to speed on regions becoming equipped with new ABG provided services. Further information on the ABG, along with other Broadband initiatives can be found by visiting DICTA.gov.au right here.

Telstra have flicked the switch enabling ADSL Broadband Internet to 211 Exchanges under the Government’s Broadband Guarantee program. More than 200 communities, many of them located in regional and remote Australia, will now have access to very fast Broadband Internet services. These new ADSL Broadband services will cover the remaining 1% of the population who until now, could only access the Internet through dial up services.  

After failing to snatch the $1 billion grant for the Broadband for the Bush Wireless project, Telstra bounced back and received around $98 million in funding for this latest initiative. It appears the pollies are excited about the breakthrough in relations between the Government and Telstra. This is slightly disappointing, as the real winners are the people in country Australia who can now get what the rest of have had for years.

Below is a list of Australian Communities that will soon have ADSL services via their local exchanges