What is the National Digital Economy Strategy?

The National Digital Economy Strategy (NDES) sets out a vision for Australia to realise the benefits of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and position Australia as a leading digital economy by 2020.

To achieve this vision, the Strategy outlines eight Digital Economy Goals, the Way Forward, Government Initiatives and Industry Initiatives.

Senator Stephen Conroy launched the Strategy at CeBIT in Sydney on 31 May 2011.

You can read the Strategy by downloading the PDF, HTML or SWF file included below.

The Strategy’s eight goals aim to:

• increase Australian households’ online participation
• increase Australian business’ and not-for-profit organisations’ online engagement
• smartly manage our environment
• improve health and aged care
• expand online education
• increase teleworking
• improved online government service delivery and engagement
• increase digital engagement in regional Australia.

The NDES identifies important areas and initiatives that will contribute to moving Australia towards a digital economy.

The NBN is the first critical step; it will provide high speed broadband to 100 per cent of Australian homes and businesses. The NBN will be ubiquitous, reliable, affordable, equitable and well regulated. To accelerate the development of Australia’s digital economy, the Australian Government has announced several new initiatives as part of the NDES. These include Digital Communities, Digital Enterprise and a telehealth trials.

What is the digital economy and why is it important?

The digital economy is the global network of economic and social activities that are enabled by information and communications technologies, such as the internet, mobile and sensor networks.

The digital economy comprises the computers, phones, game consoles and devices most of us use each day. It is the ability to start up a web browser and search for a local restaurant, to send a text message to your friend or to use a navigational device in your car. The digital economy includes paying for goods with your debit or credit card at the store, or when your doctor receives your pathology results electronically.

Through participating in the digital economy Australia can boost its productivity, global competitiveness and social well-being.

Participating in the digital economy also provides opportunities to improve access to services for people living in rural and regional Australia.

Maximising the full potential of Australia’s digital economy is expected to help deliver improved well-being in the form of better economic, education, health, social and environmental outcomes for all Australians.

The NBN represents an investment in the underlying infrastructure that will support the growth of Australia’s digital economy into the future.

Effective use of the NBN is expected to bring benefits in terms of jobs and employment, health, education, the environment, social inclusion and recreation.

More background information about Australia’s digital economy can be found in the Australian Government’s 2009 Australia’s Digital Economy: Future Directions paper.