Date: Monday, 25 July 2005

Event: Reaching stranded consumers: broadband, MDUs & TV delivery

Venue: KPMG, Level 15, 10 Shelley Street (7-11 Sussex Street), Sydney

Issues (very briefly):
Fibre and wireless connections are making new connections between people, communities and business.  The new superhighways can offer unprecedented choice of entertainment and information.  They can reduce commuter traffic and pollution.  Suburbs and town can become connected communities again.  Regions can flourish, and Australian enterprise can escape the tyranny of distance.  That is the dream, but how do we get there?

Even in the large cities, many flats and apartments are locked out of the information economy by bodies corporate and owners who block cables.  And the attitude of local government and utilities stops cable reaching many houses, either underground of overhead.  Wireless antennas and towers meet similar problems.  Rural services have USO issues. It is said that other countries are surging ahead.

Is business slow to co-operate; or is it impossible without a change in planning law? Does it need national attention, or can technologies like wireless broadband, satellite and ADSL2+ get us by?

WORKSHOP PROGRAM
SESSION 1 (2:00-3:00) TV to multi-dwelling units
Tim O'Keefe, Managing Consultant, Digital Broadcasting Australia
Debra Richards, Executive Director, ASTRA

SESSION 2 (3:20-4:20) Broadband: cable and ADSL
Andrew Johnson, Managing Director, Data & Online, Telstra
Paul McFadden, General Manager, Consumer, AAPT

SESSION 3 (4:50-6:20) More solutions and co-operation?
Alex Pollak, Senior Media Analyst, Macquarie Bank
Geof Heydon, Director, Innovation & Market Development, Alcatel Australasia
Deanne Weir, Group Director, Corporate Development & Legal Affairs, Austar

Click here for full sponsors list.