A number of network and internet companies in Australia have formed the Alliance for Affordable Broadband and published a manifesto. The manifesto was signed by the the CEOs of Allegro Networks, BigAir, Vocus Communications, AAPT, Eftel, and Polyfone, as well as the founder of Pipe Networks. The plan pushed by the Alliance is called NBN 3.0 and calls for a market solution, not an infrastructure monopoly. The plan further calls for a national fibre backhaul network and 100 Mbps to Gbps connectivity to schools, hospitals, and businesses. The group further said they believe that the government still holds or has access to the best telecommunications infrastructure asset in Australia, being the spectrum capable of carrying a national ubiquitous 4G network able to deliver up to 100 Mbps to 98 percent of Australians. It says this spectrum is a nationally significant asset. The NBN 3.0 plan, similar to the Coalition's broadband plan, calls for the use of a mix of technologies, including 4G technologies, to provide connectivity to the vast majority of consumers. Remote areas would be served by satellite services. The Alliance says a public-private model should be explored for their plan, which could be built for around AUD 3 billion or less with a large part delivered by private investment.
