Journal Article

Broadband has been the subject of serial inquiries since the Broadband Services Expert Group reported in 1994. Rarely has a subject been so heavily inquired about without, apparently until recently, a great deal of action. Like transport infrastructure it is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Broadband communications is as essential infrastructure in today's economy as is road and rail: this importance is perhaps not so readily realised. The user of broadband is the economy, the digital economy, which is critically dependent on appropriate engineering of this infrastructure and in its investment. Like road and rail, broadband infrastructure has to be engineered with changing user needs in mind. This paper will explore the issues faced by engineers and engineering in the development of broadband networks, and the critical needs of the digital economy, including in the management of other (eg. utility, road and transport) infrastructure. The paper will also consider the need for connectedness of people and services, the importance of connecting information systems (including advanced computing capabilities) and the contribution to be made by broadband in addressing sustainability.