At its meeting held on 12 December 2008, Council released the Framework for the collaborative development and use of broadband in Australia. This framework is a first for Australia as it outlines a national commitment to broadband collaboration and cooperation between all tiers of government.

The framework enables governments to collectively focus on practical and achievable strategies to further develop and facilitate the use of broadband and ensure Australia's success in the digital economy.

At its meeting, Council agreed the following priority areas, objectives and strategies for collaborative action:

• Broadband availability—all Australians have access to high-speed broadband at equitable service levels and prices.
• Broadband take-up—Australians are fully aware of the benefits of high-speed broadband, and are able to choose a broadband service that meets their needs.
• Broadband usage—Australians use high-speed broadband to improve economic, environmental and social wellbeing.

Council tasked the National Broadband Development Group with addressing the priority areas, objectives and strategies identified in the document, and regularly reporting its progress to the Council.

A copy of the framework can be downloaded by the following links:

• Framework for the collaborative development and use of broadband in Australia (PDF, 415 kB)
• Framework for the collaborative development and use of broadband in Australia (RTF, 521 kB)

or requested by email: occ@occ.gov.au.