Fully realise the digital economic dividend by better enabling emerging technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things and smart cities across Australia through regulation, investment and coordination.
- Bounce back to rapid recovery
- Digital Australia
Key messages
5G will power new industries and enable many new features. These include faster speed, a greater number of devices in any given area, ultra-low latency (the time it takes for data to travel between user and the target destination) and ultra-high reliability.
To create a comprehensive and competitive 5G landscape, the cost of building new telecommunications base stations needs to be sustainable. The most significant costs are hardware, site rental (frequently on public land) and spectrum licenses.
The increasing collection and processing of a growing amount of personal data present multiple risks. To protect consumers, there should be industry codes that encourage responsible application of solutions and regular updates to privacy legislation.
Digital innovation can support the better maintenance, optimised productivity and lower-cost operation of Australian infrastructure across all sectors. Digital technology is not yet the default application for every new Australian infrastructure project. To maximise its benefits, there must be clearer ownership, adoption of standards, industry alignment and effective governance for infrastructure data.
What are the impacts?
Better enablement of 5G networks will deliver high-quality 5G access to more places on a basis that is economically sustainable for mobile network operators and businesses and affordable for end users.
5G can significantly improve economic productivity in industries where there is movement, production, data or distance. The proposed reform creates opportunity for effective governance in emerging areas of risk such as privacy and cybersecurity.
Social and environmental benefits are reliant on market participants providing contiguous 5G coverage.
How easy is it to implement?
This reform will remain complex to implement until there is an evolved mindset across all levels of government around fully enabling the benefits of 5G.
New telecommunications sites are typically associated with high costs for operators, which is offset by the significant revenues for governments gathered from spectrum licences and site rentals.
How certain are the outcomes?
Government control is hindered by existing strategic risks in delivering national networks that depend on industry organisations for success.
Demonstrating the potential of 5G can improve confidence in supporting innovation, IoT and smart cities reform. Realising that this is a utility for the community good rather than a private revenue source will allow the benefits to be achieved.
Greater government involvement and public dialogue to address the perceived health and safety risks of 5G and cybercrime will increase community acceptance in the long-term.
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5G coverage
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| Economic |
Knowledge investment
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| Economic |
OECD computer problem-solving
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Read more about this recommendation in 7.3 Enabling Australia's digital future in the 2021 Australian Infrastructure Plan.
Reform implementation pathway
This recommendation comprises of outcomes and activities, which form the reform's implementation pathway.
The implementation pathway is designed to guide change agents on the supporting activities necessary to achieve the overall reform.
For each outcome and activity, we propose change agents to act as:
- Proposed sponsor: facilitate, coordinate and champion the recommendation
- Proposed lead: deliver specific activities or lead related outcomes
- Support: share ownership, contributions or knowledge to enable the reform process.
Ensure Australian communities and businesses can rapidly access competitive, sustainable and contiguous 5G coverage in urban centres across Australia by increasing spectrum flexibility, ensuring sustainable pricing and simplifying planning processes.
5-10 years
Enable maximum contiguous coverage of Australia’s emergent 5G networks by creating more affordable ways for network operators to locate 5G small cells on public assets (such as street furniture, public buildings and road trenches) in a way that resembles the arrangements made for other major utilities, with nominal or zero rental costs and wider facility-sharing of public infrastructure.
0-5 years
Provide communities with commercially viable, unobtrusive and contiguous coverage across Australia’s suburbs by encouraging local governments to build telecommunications towers and poles (for network operators to mount small cells) for the public good in key suburbs and precincts.
0-5 years
Facilitate the introduction of 5G to regional areas by giving flexibility to operators to utilise any low-band spectrum to roll out 5G coverage in these areas.
0-5 years
Consider adding the adoption of 5G technology to the evaluation criteria for regional Mobile Black Spot Program funding applications.
0-5 years
Increase access to choice in connectivity for mobile and smart applications by accelerating the rollout Open Radio Area Network technology, including by prioritising this technology in regional connectivity programs and 5G pilot programs.
0-5 years
Improve the sustainability, liveability and efficiency of Australian communities by adopting a strategic approach to smart cities and the Internet of Things that facilitates investment and enables scalable projects.
5-10 years
Enable a smart infrastructure step-change by adopting best-practice policies that reduce friction and increase interoperability at a place level, including policies addressing:
- shared applications
- systems and processes
- capabilities
- data exchange, storage and federation.
0-5 years
Accelerate the delivery of smart places through a refresh of the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program to focus on co-funding high initial cost, yet scalable, regional initiatives that align with the national digital infrastructure roadmap.
0-5 years
Protect and educate all corners of society to become more digitally confident as new technology continues to evolve, with the launch of national initiatives addressing health concerns, data privacy, technology risks, cybercrime and digital confidence.
5-10 years
Ensure the Australian Privacy Principles are ready to deal with an entirely new generation of processing capabilities, with a review of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to consider the risks presented by artificial intelligence, quantum computing and machine learning.
5-10 years
Protect the public from misinformation and cyber risks by investing in public education and communication programs addressing 5G health concerns, data privacy, technology risks and cybercrime. The engagement should extend previously successful public education and engagement campaigns around digital innovation.
0-5 years