The

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is a former

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of the

Government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federalism, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster system, Westminster-sty ...

that was charged with the responsibility to help develop a vibrant, sustainable and internationally competitive

broadband In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...

broadcasting Broadcasting is the distribution (business), distribution of sound, audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio ...

and communications sector and, through this, promote the

digital economy The digital economy is a portmanteau of digital computing and economy, and is an umbrella term that describes how traditional Brick and mortar, brick-and-mortar economic activities (production, distribution, trade) are being transformed by Interne ...

for the benefit of all Australians. The department was formed in 2007 and dissolved in 2013. Its functions were assumed by the newly created Department of Communications.

Operational functions

In the Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 December 2007, the functions of the department were broadly classified into the following matters: *Broadband policy and programs *Postal and telecommunications policies and programs *Spectrum policy management *Broadcasting policy *National policy issues relating to the digital economy *Content policy relating to the information economy

Department programs

* The Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS) was a strategy which ran from 2004 to 2007 to provide registered Internet service providers with incentive payments to supply higher bandwidth services in regional, rural and remote areas at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan areas. * The ''Australia Connected'' package was announced on 18 June 2007. Up to $958 million ($600 million from Broadband Connect Infrastructure Program funding and an additional $358 million in funding) was allocated towards a new national wholesale network which was stated to deliver high speed broadband to rural and regional Australia by June 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Department Of Broadband, Communications And The Digital Economy Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Ministries established in 2007 2013 disestablishments in Australia 2007 establishments in Australia