nbn™ network connected SMBs set to add $4 billion to economy each year

Small and medium businesses are set to contribute an additional $4 billion to the Australian GDP each year following the completion of the nbn™ network rollout, according to research from the University of Melbourne*.

 

The ‘Economic Benefit of the National Broadband Network’  report reveals Aussie business owners will benefit from a new wave of digital services which will transform the way they interact with suppliers and customers.

 

It highlights the growth of e-commerce and availability of cloud services as the largest drivers of business efficiency as they become essential tools to increase productivity, lower costs and improve customer service.

 

Bernard Salt, Demographer, KPMG said:

 “Australian businesses are adaptable and resilient – we readily embrace new ideas, new technologies and new ways of working. Access to the nbn™ network will open up opportunities for small business owners in our growing digital services driven economy. 

 

“Whether you’re an online craft business able to source and sell products more efficiently or a tradie now able to process payments on-the-go, e-commerce will allow Australian businesses to access new markets, no matter where they operate.”

 

Ben Salmon, Executive General Manager of Business, nbn said:

“The nbn™ network provides the platform for a range of advanced services that are changing the way Australians do business.

 

“For regional Australian businesses, it has the benefit of providing greater flexibility and access to global markets. We are already seeing the rise of new ‘Silicon Suburbs’ around the country as universal access to fast broadband drives entrepreneurialism and innovation outside metro cities.”

 

There are almost 2 million homes and businesses around the country which can already connect to the nbn™ network, with every Australian set to have access by 2020.

 

Visit our nbn™ blog series to learn more about how access to fast broadband is transforming Australian small businesses.

 

Media enquiries

 

Talia Spink

Phone: 0488 902 436

Email: taliaspink@nbnco.com.au

 

nbn™ Media Hotline

Phone: 02 9927 4200

Email: media@nbnco.com.au

 

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Notes to editors

References:

•  *Research performed at the Centre for Energy-Efficient Telecommunications (CEET) at the University of Melbourne.  For a detailed summary of the research, see the CEET White Paper Economic Benefit of the National Broadband Network, available at http://ceet.unimelb.edu.au/publications/downloads/ceet-economic-impact-nbn.pdf. In this press release, the emphasis is specifically on the benefits from e-commerce and cloud computing for small and medium enterprises.
• For small and medium businesses specifically, the University Of Melbourne focused on the effects of cloud computing and electronic commerce for businesses with less than $2M annual revenue.

 

About nbn:

• nbn is building a new, fast wholesale broadband network to enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband. Our goal is to connect eight million homes and businesses by 2020.
• Fast broadband like that delivered via the nbn™ network can provide a range of benefits for Australians such as opportunities to work from home, access to online education tools and options for on-demand entertainment.
• End-user experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network, depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like equipment quality, software, broadband plans and how the end-user’s service provider designs its network. Access to your work network will depend on factors outside our control like your organisation’s IT policy and infrastructure. 

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