Fibre and digital media – the European topics.
Looking back on a very successful trip to Europe, I have much to report.
The Australian and New Zealand Broadband Mission to the Netherlands was a great success. I have to say, it took a hell of a lot of organising but in the end it paid off. Below are links to free reports and various presentations.
The program developed by my friend and colleague Fred Kappetijn, his partner Elaine Sullivan and their colleague Ellen van Hattum (www.kappetijn.com) was outstanding.
The participation of The Hon Helen Coonan, the Australian Minister for Communications, and of the Department of Communications IT and the Arts (DCITA), gave the Mission that important official status.
The Roundtable was made financially possible by the Dutch Government (Ministry of Economic Affairs) and was hosted by Cisco at their impressive new offices in Amsterdam.
Cisco Australia sponsored the lunch, and we are also grateful for the support of Austrade and ICR Nederland.
In all, close to 100 people from the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand participated in the various activities during the five-day mission, which included visits to Amsterdam, Almere and Nuenen.
The Dutch Government, their regulator OPTA and a number of government and business institutions provided a wealth of information on the fibre and digital media developments in one of the world’s most successful broadband markets. Both the Australian and Dutch governments indicated that government policy-making was shifting – away from ‘access’ and towards ‘digital media’.
One of the statements made by the Dutch Government at the Roundtable in Amsterdam was: ‘No more trials and pilots please!’ I was told that the first large-scale commercial deployment of e-health services has finally been scheduled for later this year.
Fibre to the home also featured high on the agenda. This is covered in both the European Travelogue and in the Fibre Report. Some 100 municipality networks are currently under development in the Netherlands, but look at the information on fibre competition in Paris and Cologne also – very interesting indeed.
As in Australia, the government and the regulator in the Netherlands are struggling with the implementation of nationwide FttN networks by their incumbents. We cover this extensively in the report: Netherlands – Fibre-to-the-home Developments.
Thefree reports are our contribution to the discussion on these topics, which we hope will lead to a successful implementation of broadband infrastructure, not only in Australia and New Zealand but also in a wider international context.
A sequel to the event has been planned. A virtual conference will take place between digital media experts in the Netherlands and Australia – courtesy of Cisco, who will make available their recently opened telepresence centres in Amsterdam and Sydney. Those of you interested in both the Netherlands and in Australia, please have a good look at the Netherlands – Digital Media Developments report.
The delegation also very much appreciated the Dutch hospitality and the historical ambience of several of the venues. The official welcome, hosted by the Australian Embassy, took place in ‘De Waag’ a former city gate complex dating back to 1488. Several of the restaurants we frequented, such as De Spieghel’, will leave an enduring impression. And the award-winning restaurant ‘Tante Truus’ in Almere, which is run by handicapped staff, was a highlight.
I also took the opportunity to visit London and Stockholm and in the Europe – Travelogue European Trip March 2007 report you will find a snapshot of the key developments that are taking place in the wider European context.
Free reports:
- Netherlands – Fibre-to-the-home Developments
- Netherlands – Digital Media Developments
- Europe – Travelogue European Trip March 2007
For the full content of the Minister’s address – Senator Coonan recorded address to the Dutch-Australia Broadband Roundtable.
Most of the presentations at the Roundtable in Amsterdam and Almere are now on our website (again free of charge):- Australia Netherlands – Digital Media Exchange
More information, pictures and presentations will be added as they come in, so please keep an eye out for these updates.
I hope you enjoy all of this information and that it will assist you in making the right policy and business decisions in the exciting world of fibre networks and digital media.
Paul Budde
