Policy Statement
Australia

Mr Chairman, Secretary‑General, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen…good afternoon, it is a pleasure to be here.
 
Can I begin by congratulating you, Mr Chairman, on your election to this important role for the Conference.
 
I would also like to thank you for the gracious hospitality you have extended to all members of the Australian delegation since our arrival in Mexico.
 
Needless to say, we are delighted to be here in Guadalajara to participate in this key event for the ITU.
 
You have a beautiful city, and with the warm climate and friendly people the Australian delegation feels most welcome. Thank you again.
 
Ladies and gentlemen, it is also my pleasure to extend a very warm welcome to the newest Member State of the ITU, East Timor (Timor Leste).
 
East Timor is one of Australia’s closest neighbours and a fellow member of the Asia–Pacific Telecommunity.
 
We welcome East Timor to the ITU, and trust that she will benefit, as we have done, from participation in the ITU community.
 
Australia places great value on its involvement with the ITU.
 
Governments past have been participating in the ITU, and its predecessors for more than 130 years.
 
We maintain a strong commitment to the union, and believe in the importance of its role in supporting cooperation across national borders on telecommunications and radiocommunications matters.
 
One of the key challenges we face as representatives of Governments is how to ensure all our citizens are able to participate in the digital economy.
 
The digital economy is the economy of the future.
 
It is an economy that is not restricted by location or socio-economic status.
 
All of us are approaching this opportunity in different ways, suited to our unique geographies, economies and societies.
 
However, what underpins these different approaches is a common vision to ensure we achieve the full benefits of the communications revolution, both nationally and globally.
 
Australia is tackling this challenge head-on with the roll-out of a National Broadband Network (NBN) that will result in high-speed connectivity for every Australian home, workplace and school.
 
The NBN will connect 93 per cent of Australians with fibre-to-the-premises technology. The remaining seven [7] per cent will receive high-speed broadband using a combination of next-generation wireless and satellite.
 
This network is designed to deliver better services, better prices and new applications for every Australian, no matter where they live.
 
Australia is a land of vast distances and a relatively small population that results in a population density of less than three people per square kilometre.
 
The great potential of broadband for Australia is therefore to overcome this ‘tyranny of distance’.
 
I know that the same is true for many other countries represented at this conference.
 
The promise of broadband is more than just that however.
 
‘Broadband’ is a technology that will enable digital platforms to break down economic, geographic and social barriers, leading to improved economic development and the realisation of social benefits in our communities.
 
The digital economy promises to contribute to global transformation in every field and every sector.
 
Australia shares the commitment of the ITU Development sector to realising the social and economic benefits promised by access to communications for all people on an equitable basis.
 
And, importantly, in those critical times of disaster when telecommunications can help save lives.
 
Part of Australia’s annual contribution to the ITU goes to the ITU Development sector to provide ‘direct country assistance’ to countries in need in our region.
 
We are indeed fortunate to see the results that this contribution makes to a number of countries.
 
The digital future, of course, is not without its challenges.
 
The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference is a key event at which we can all help to secure the future role of the ITU, and its ability to support the development of telecommunications worldwide.
 
It is also an important event for us to reach agreement and build a consensus on the proper role of the ITU in responding to some of the emerging challenges.
 
Australia welcomes the opportunity that this conference provides to plan for the future of the ITU for the next quadrennium and beyond.
 
We are also grateful for the excellent opportunity it gives us to broaden our engagement with all the countries represented here, as together we look ahead to the realisation of our shared vision for a world transformed by access to technology for all its citizens.
 
Thank you.