Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (Australia)

Infobox Government agency
agency_name = Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

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formed = 1999
preceding1 =
dissolved =
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jurisdiction = Commonwealth of Australia
employees = 773 (2006)
budget = $129.08 m AUD (05/06)
chief1_name = Ms Patricia Scott
chief1_position = Secretary
chief2_name = Ms Fay Holthuyzen
chief2_position = Deputy Secretary, Communications
chief3_name = Mr Abul Rizvi
chief3_position = Deputy Secretary, Broadcasting, ICT, Regional Strategy and Corporate
chief4_name = Mr Mark Tucker
chief4_position = Deputy Secretary, Arts, Sport and Indigenous
chief5_name = Mr Andy Townend
chief5_position = Deputy Secretary, Digital Australia
parent_agency =
child1_agency = National Library of Australia
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website = [http://www.dbcde.gov.au | www.dbcde.gov.au]
footnotes =

:"The arts functions from DCITA are now with the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Australia)"The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) is an Australian government department. The department's policy areas include:

*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

The responsibilities of this department were formerly a part of the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA). DCITA was dissolved in December 2007 with the election of the Rudd Government. Responsibility for the arts was transferred to the new Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the responsibility for sports was transferred to the Department of Health and Ageing.

Ministers

*Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy

HiBIS

The Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS) was a strategy 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.

Australia connected

In June 2007, a landmark funding and legislative initiative was announced by the Department, stating that 99% of the Australian population will have fast, affordable broadband by June 2009. "Australia Connected" will be a new national high speed wholesale network, independent of current service providers, aiming to deliver 12Mb speeds using ADSL2, fibre, and wireless connections.

ee also

*Minister for Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy
*List of Australian Commonwealth Government entities

External links

* [http://www.dbcde.gov.au/ Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Website]