Digital Economy News

The Department blog got around to a post on the Internet filter. One really does despair about people who engage in "black is white" conversations. I have made a contribution that hasn't got through moderation yet to demonstrate my case.

Meanwhile the fact that our Minister is engaging in DE consultation has made it to an online source called TelecomPaper but I can't tell you what it said because I subscription is required.

Meanwhile, our partners in the "coalition of the willing" are now both making news about the DE. This is all a bit fun because when the PM announced that he was habving a department for DE some suggested it was a bit passe because the DE was here now.

British PM Gordon Brown in his final press conference of the year announced the Government would be bringing forward fresh measures in the new year for "smart investment" in "green" jobs, the digital economy, and the transport infrastructure.

Meanwhile in the US there is continuing coverage of the Obama plans. Under the heading Obama Looks to Give Digital Economy Shot in the Arm PC World reports that Obama has promised to renew the US information superhighway. They report that

Broadband expansion is likely to be a priority for Obama's administration. Although the U.S. currently has about 75 million broadband users, the [OECD] ranks it only 15th out of 30 industrialized countries on broadband adoption. In his speech, Obama called the level of access in the U.S. "unacceptable."

Sounds like he wants to build his versio of the NBN. So much for those in Australia who keep trying to use the US as an example of how to do the Internet.

So it must feel great to be Rudd and Conroy and be so far in front of the pack.