Press & PR

Australia edged nearer to offering high-speed broadband networks in its major cities this week.

The government unveiled its final set of guidelines for companies that may be interested in creating networks, with giants such as Telstra, Deutsche Telekom AG and a Singapore Telecommunications-led consortium expected to tender.

However, the current government may not be in place by the time the construction begins, noted Marketwatch.

Future backpackers planning to take advantage of such broadband connectivity to keep in touch with loved ones using VoIP technology need not fear, however, as the opposition party has a separate £2 billion scheme drawn out.

Broadband connections allow people using a Vonage V-Phone - a VoIP-enabled device compatible with any PC and small enough to fit onto a keyring - to make cheap international calls when travelling.

A recent study from the Australian Communications and Media Authority found that 80 per cent of Australians now have web access.