Telecommunications in Australia
All the colonies ran their telegraph networks at a deficit through investment in infrastructure and subsidisation of regional access, generally with bipartisan support.
Subscriber telephones were initially restricted to major businesses, government agencies, institutions and wealthier residences.
Overseas cable links to Australia remained in private hands, reflecting the realities of imperial politics, demands on the new government's resources, and perceptions of its responsibilities.
A trunk line between Melbourne (headquarters of the PMG Department) and Sydney was established in 1907, with extension to Adelaide in 1914, Brisbane in 1923, Perth in 1930 and Hobart in 1935.
[4] The coaxial cable infrastructure supported the introduction of subscriber trunk dialling between the cities[5] and live television link-ups.
However, in the 1970s, the Labor government under Prime Minister Gough Whitlam commenced a broadcasting renaissance so that by the 1990s there were 50 different radio services available for groups based on tastes, languages, religion, or geography.
Many forms of entertainment, particularly drama and variety, proved more suited to television than radio, so the actors and producers migrated there.
It now includes a broad range of public, commercial, community, subscription, narrowcast, and amateur stations across the country.
Subscription television, whether Foxtel or Netflix type services, has become more important and is one factor driving demand for the National Broadband Network.
With opening telecommunications to multi provider competition the government required Telstra to sell wholesale access to its core facilities and networks.
After the election of the Abbott government in 2013 a Multi Technological Mix was implemented, replacing FTTP where development was yet to start with Fibre to the Node and also repurposing the Telstra and Optus hybrid fibre-coaxial networks.
In the late 1990s, Telstra and Optus rolled-out separate cable Internet services, focusing on the east coast.
There are also a number of satellite earth stations, which provide access points into the Australian networks: Due to Australia's large size, sparse population, and relative remoteness to other countries, a significant amount of infrastructure is required for Internet communications.
[18] The 1982 Davidson Inquiry regarding private sector involvement in delivery of existing/proposed telecommunications services recommended ending Telecom Australia's monopoly.
[19] In June 1991, legislation was passed allowing duopoly competition with Telstra, Optus Communications became Australia's second general telecommunications carrier.
It faced growing competition in market niches such as long distance corporate voice and data services.
[21] On 31 December 2007, Stephen Conroy announced the federal government's intention to censor "inappropriate material" from the Internet.
The Australian Government, in partnership with the industrial sector, began rolling out a nationwide FTTP broadband network in July 2009.
[29] The .au domain (ccTLD) was delegated to Robert Elz of the Australian Computing Science Network (ACSNet) in March 1986.
[24][25][26] In 1992 there were two competing commercial ISPs expanding to excess of 100 by June 1995 [Internet Australasia Magazine], attributing some fifth of all AARNet traffic.
[32] Broadband internet access is available in Australia using predominantly ADSL, plus cable, fibre, satellite and wireless technologies.
[38][39] Telstra proposed to upgrade to Fibre to the Node (FTTN) in 2006 but did not pursue the development because it would be required to share the network.
Telstra's 2006 introduction of the "Next G" HSPA network (which reportedly covers 99% of the Australian population as of September 2008) with speeds advertised of being up to 14 Mbit/s[41] stimulated investment in wireless broadband by competitors Optus, Vodafone and Hutchison Telecommunications, who are presently expanding their HSPA networks to cover 96–98% of the Australian population.
Government monies have been made available on a competitive basis to carriers to address broadband and mobile telephone blackspots and gaps in service provision.
[49] On 8 November 2023 at around 04:00 AEDT, all Optus services, including wireless phone, internet, and mobile, stopped working.
