National Broadband Network to create a brave new world at home (Australia)

[-n3o-]

[quote]

Government to release digital economy strategy
One in eight Aussies to work from home by 2020
People will be able to visit GPs online from home

ONE in eight Australians will be able to work from home by 2020 under an ambitious blueprint for the National Broadband Network that predicts it will save the typical family $148 a week.

It also says that by the end of the decade it will common for people to visit the GP for a standard check-up without leaving their loungeroom.

The Gillard Government will today release its digital economy strategy which paints a picture of how it believes the NBN will change work and family life.

The plan sets a target of lifting Australia into the world's top five for broadband access from today's poor ranking of 18th in the OECD.

It claims this will deliver a $2.4 billion gain to households through time-saving activities such as remote work and study, shopping, health, education and data activities.

A household on the average wage spending 16 hours a week on the internet is predicted to save an average $7699 a year — or $148 a week.

Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy will today announce $63 million worth of spending to underpin the blueprint, including $23.8 million to create a "digital hub" in the first 40 communities connected to the NBN, $12 million for small business and charities and $27.2 million to improve internet skills.

The Government has faced criticism about its plan to spend $37 billion on the NBN with the Opposition saying it is building a white elephant.

The report is Labor's hard sell to show how the NBN can be used for far more than downloading movies and playing games.

It says high-speed and reliable broadband will change the way people do their job and sets a target to have 12 per cent of people tele-working by the end of the decade.

The Government believes the NBN will provide the confidence for workers and bosses to increase workplace flexibility. An increase in the number of people who spend half their week working from home would be worth between $1.4 billion and $1.9 billion a year and would cut peak hour traffic by 5 per cent, save 120 million litres of fuel and 320,000 tonnes of carbon.[/quote]

[url]http://www.news.com.au/technology/working-at-home-the-nbn-blueprint/story-e6frfro0-1226066044247[/url]

[Contag]

[quote]which paints a picture of how it [B]believes[/B] the NBN will change work and family life.[/quote]

Biased? Nah!

Wish I could work from home.

[1239the]

Yes, because places like Finland and the Netherlands have the exact same infrastructure and totally get medical checkups via internet all the time.

[Noth]

[quote]spending 16 hours a week on the internet[/quote]

We talking about the same country here?

[Contag]

You rarely hear governments proposing to reduce their countries GDP by ~160 billion, and framing it as a good thing.

[Best4bond]

Such is life in Julia's Australia.

[Matix]

Will they supply us with [I]soma?[/I]