AUSTRALIA'S IBES EYES TIE-UPS ON BROADBAND ROLL-OUT

By Samantha Tan Chiew Ting KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Australia's Institute for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES) is eyeing collaborations with Malaysia's research organisations, industry players and government relating to broadband. Its executive director, Kate Cornick, said IBES was keen to work with Malaysian industry and research organisations as both countries were in the process of rolling out high-speed broadband. Cornick said Australia's national broadband network, which cost A$35.9 billion (A$1=RM3.15), was expected to be completed by 2021, and reached 93 per cent of the population with fibre optics and others would be served by wireless and satellite coverage. She said Australia and Malaysia had a lot to learn from each other as both countries were rolling out high-speed network and physical infrastructure related to fibre optics and wireless infrastructure. Cornick, who is on a working visit to Malaysia, said IBES has held discussions with Malaysia's Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) and Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM). "As we develop high-speed broadband, we should think of how to release it. We need to understand how people will use broadband and also to bring research industry and government sector to collaborate on projects that are meaningful," Cornick said. She said IBES was in talks with MDeC to help drive the broadband demand in Malaysia, adding, the institute was also keen to learn and share its experiences relating broadband. "We are interested to share how to increase digital literacy and digital productivity with MDeC and other organisations," she said. Besides MDeC, Cornick said, IBES has also met with TM to explore potential collaboration in energy efficiency due to its significant impact on operational expenditure. Cornick said the Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications was set up in Australia to focus on how to use high-speed broadband to help boost energy efficiency as telecommunication network used alot of electricity. "Our research showed that the Internet in Australia uses about one per cent of our energy supply. "Over the next 10 years, if we continue to use broadband and the demand grows, we could easily use 10-15 per cent of energy supply on telecommunications," she said. She praised Malaysia's Digital Transformation Programme, saying the country was in the right direction as the world was moving into a new digital era. Cornick said it was crucial to make sure the community, businesses and organisations were digital-enabled to ensure they reached the global market and positioned the country in the best possible way. "We live in a globalised society and if we want to increase economic productivity and economic growth, we have to think to play in the global market and broadband is the way you can easily reach the market," she said. She did not rule out the possibility of potential collaboration on commercialisation between Australia and Malaysia, adding, there could be potentials in developing technology in broadband applications to benefit the society. IBES, based in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Melbourne in Victoria, is a research institute focusing on the development of broadband-enabled applications and technologies. Established in 2009, IBES' aims are to develop research and drive the demand side of broadband. -- BERNAMA