National Broadband Network (NBN) has released the first of a series of enhancements to help businesses make the most of high speed internet.
NBN for Business will allow service providers to offer businesses the ability to run up to 50 voice services over the network (this includes calls made over an internet connection) and offers extended levels of support for internet service providers such as seven-day-a-week service and one-hour response time to incidents.
NBN Co head of development and sales, Jim Hassell said NBN for Business will help open up new markets and increase productivity.
“NBN for Business offers service providers the tools to tailor packages for businesses, allowing them to make use of a host of new digital tools to increase productivity and maintain their competitive edge,” he said.
“By embracing new technologies, Australian businesses can become more agile and responsive to their customer’s needs, potentially lower their operating costs and open up new markets,” he added.
Internode, iiNet, M2/iPrimus, and Macquarie Telecom have confirmed they will be among the first telecommunications providers to offer business-specific services using the NBN for Business enhancements.
Council of Small Business of Australia, executive director, Peter Strong said NBN for Business would be welcomed by Australia’s two million small businesses.
“There’s a real chance for small businesses to find new ways to increase productivity, reduce costs and expand markets through new ways of working, as well as gain more free time and cut down on stress,” he said.
The NBN’s fibre optic network already offers companies and individuals high download and upload speeds, which are important for applications such as high definition videoconferencing and online backup.
High speed broadband opens up new ways of doing business such as the ability to offer more efficient and enhanced customer service, run applications remotely in the cloud and access new markets at home and abroad.
In addition, a series of research studies have found that increased broadband connectivity will position Australia for tomorrow’s jobs and economic growth, for instance:
- KPMG estimates that cloud computing over the NBN could increase the size of the Australian economy by $3.32 billion per annum within a decade.
- Deloitte Access Economics estimated that the direct contribution of the internet to the Australian economy was approximately $50 billion a year, projected to grow to over $70 billion a year by 2016.
- Access Economics says if 10 percent of Australian employees were to telework every second day, total annual productivity gains would be in the order of $1.4 billion to $1.9 billion per year by reducing commute times, office space and staff turnover.
