Multimedia Victoria - Victorian Schools Get High-Speed Broadband Boost

Victorian Schools Get High-Speed Broadband Boost


Media release - 5 November 2008

All Victorian Government schools will undergo a major broadband upgrade to increase their high-speed broadband capacity from four to 10 megabits-per-second, putting Victorian schools at the leading edge of the nation's digital education revolution, Premier John Brumby said today.

Mr Brumby, Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo and Education Minister Bronwyn Pike announced the upgrade today at Richmond Primary School during an interactive blogging lesson with students at Hawkesdale P-12 College more than 280 kilometres away.

Mr Brumby said almost 1600 Victorian Government schools are already reaping the educational benefits of 4 Mbps high-speed broadband. This upgrade to 10 Mbps, funded through the Government's $89.3 million VicSmart initiative, will begin this month and is expected to be completed in June 2009.

"Victoria is leading the digital education revolution with the best bandwidth infrastructure available anywhere in the nation, putting Victorian students ahead of the game," Mr Brumby said.

"Through the VicSmart initiative, the Victorian Government and Telstra are continuing to improve the already world-class broadband technology in Victorian government schools and making sure that every child has every opportunity to the best start in life through a great education.

"Because education is this Government's number one priority, Victorian students everywhere will now be able to access and share information and on-line resources nearly two-and-a-half times faster, making communication and knowledge sharing between schools virtually instant."

Telstra Chief Executive Officer Sol Trujillo said high speed broadband was vital to enhance the educational opportunities of Australian schoolchildren, and for the future prosperity of the nation.

"This network means students can interact over the internet in real time and in high resolution," Mr Trujillo said.

"The options for delivering better learning outcomes are endless, including virtual field trips and true collaboration between classrooms across great distances."

Ms Pike said the Brumby Government is committed to ensuring all students developed the skills to equip them for life in a modern world and workplace.

"Schools providing the best modern technology to the current generation of tech-savvy students will help provide students with 21st Century skills for 21st Century jobs," Ms Pike said.

"In the same way that computers are evolving, education is evolving and the Victorian Government is doing everything we can to ensure our schools keep pace with fast moving technology to give all our schools world-class broadband technology.

"The VicSmart initiative is about providing universal access to broadband services for all Victorian schools and it is great to see the smallest and most remote country schools enjoying the same internet access and learning opportunities as larger city schools."