NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK PUBLIC LIBRARIES ADVISORY GROUP UPDATE 17 MAY 2012

Digital Hubs funding Townsville City Council, through CityLibraries, was successful in obtaining funding in December 2011 in round 1 funding offered by the Commonwealth Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to establish a digital hub at the Aitkenvale Branch Library. The purpose of the digital hub funding is two-fold: first, to allow residents to experience the NBN; and second, to build skills in the community to allow people to fully participate in the digital economy. The funding is for a two-year period. Using Council's existing fibre infrastructure, the public PCs at Thuringowa Library have now also been connected, which is a great boon to residents in areas of the city further down the list for roll-out of the NBN.

One example of how the NBN can be used is the kuril dhagan online public program pilot project. SLQ’s kuril dhagan will deliver their public programs digitally to Townsville CityLibraries so clients there can participate. There is potential for two- way sharing of Townsville’s programs with kuril dhagan clients in Brisbane. Toowoomba City Library is another pilot site for the kuril dhagan project and Toowoomba have also applied for digital hub funding as part of the NBN priority 2 area rollout.

On 13 April, the Australian Government called for applications from service providers to deliver the next round of the Digital Hubs and Digital Enterprise programs. Eligible communities are those where work on the NBN rollout has already commenced, in Queensland specifically the Brisbane and Lockyer Valley local government areas. The Digital Hubs and Digital Enterprise programs help communities to understand and realise the many potential benefits of the NBN through training, activities and information sessions.

NBN roll-out On 29 March 2012, NBN Co announced Stage 1 of the large-scale roll-out of the NBN. In Queensland, construction is well underway in the areas of Townsville, Aspley, Goodna/Redbank, and Toowoomba. Construction is expected to commence within the next year in areas branching out from these existing sites. The growth of connections within Brisbane suburbs will mainly occur in northern suburbs and in West End.

A Definitive Agreement was also announced between NBN Co and Telstra which will enable the faster building of the network by allowing access to Telstra’s substantial existing infrastructure.

Queensland NBN Strategic Plan The Telecommunications, Broadband and Digital Economy Coordination Office of the Queensland Department of Public Works released a Queensland NBN Strategic Plan 2012-2016 in February 2012. This plan makes for very interesting reading and of special note is the objective listed to “provide for optical fibre to be connected to…all state and local government libraries …and all local government council administration buildings” (page 3). The plan will provide a framework for many Queensland NBN activities and initiatives. State Library will continue to meet with key government representatives to help ensure that the important role played by libraries in digital literacy is well recognised.