Telecommunications

Tasmania enjoys the same standard of advanced telecommunications infrastructure as that found elsewhere in Australia. The Tasmanian telecommunications network has digital capability at every network site.

While telecommunications are primarily an Australian Government responsibility, successive governments in Tasmania have sought to provide improved access to telecommunications infrastructure and services. These developments provide opportunities, better delivery of government services and improved access for regional Tasmania.

Basslink and the Tasmanian Natural Gas Project provided the opportunity for investment in telecommunications facilities in Tasmania by laying fibre optic cable.

Tasmania's infrastructure includes the following services:

• all Tasmanian network sites have digital capability and are interconnected by digital transmission
• the state has a fibre optic cable across Bass Strait that provides high-speed voice and data links
• the optic fibre cable backbone spans 420km from George Town to Hobart and across Port Latta on the North-west Coast
• reliable, high-speed data services using frame relay, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) and compatible technologies are available.

This technology means:

• more than 12 million three-minute calls can be carried per hour using the optical fibre link
• only 40% of total traffic carried is data and the cable has ample spare capacity
• greater competition for telecommunication purchases provided by optical fibre infrastructure.
  

Accelerated growth in the information and communications technology industries in Tasmania has been enhanced by government programs such as Intelligent Island, and full service venture partners like In-tellinc. These initiatives present valuable opportunities in the State's Information and Communications Technology industries.