nbn Joins IoT Think Tank Executive Council in Lead-Up to Industry/Stakeholder Workshop

Sydney, 1 June 2015   - Key infrastructure player nbn has joined the Executive Council of the Communications Alliance Internet of Things (IoT) Think-Tank, as stakeholders gear up for a key, direction-setting workshop to be held on 19 June.

nbn’s Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer, Mr Brad Whitcomb joins the Executive Council, alongside senior representatives from Telstra, IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Huawei, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, KPMG, the Department of Communications’ Bureau of Communications Research (BCR), Sirca and Creator Tech.

Executive Council Chair and Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said the members had warmly welcomed nbn at the group’s second meeting on 29 May.

“nbn’s mission to date has obviously focused on national broadband service roll-out, but there is little doubt that the disruptive nature of IoT and the looming need for network solutions complementary to IoT will soon factor on the radar screens of nbn and other infrastructure players.”

Mr Whitcomb said, “As a visionary wholesale only provider, nbn™ is keenly interested in the rapidly emerging opportunities presented by the Internet of Things.
 
“nbn is leading the way in rolling out a network across Australia that will help enable seamless networking of people, and of things. The comprehensive nature of the network can be a key enabler of the IoT, including by adopting and implementing standard approaches across geographies and technologies.
 
“We see a number of potential early opportunities for our access seekers, including smart metering, environmental sensors, CCTV and digital signage.
 
“We look forward to participating in the Communications Alliance program that will research and identify IoT benefits for Australian industry, seek to address regulatory and other inhibitors and enablers (including privacy and spectrum allocation); and lead to the development of a comprehensive strategy and vision for the Australian IoT community.”

The Think Tank is gearing up for a major industry/stakeholder workshop to be held in Sydney on 19 June, hosted by KPMG. The workshop will complement the research project being undertaken by consultants and Think-Tank members, Creator Tech.

A broader stakeholder group, including representatives from the ACMA, AIIA, ACCAN and AMTA are expected to join IoT industry players in a detailed examination of the newly-mapped “IoT ecosystem” in Australia and look at where Australian industry can and should most effectively play.

The workshop will also examine work recently completed by leading law firm, Baker & McKenzie as it debates the implications of IoT for Australia’s regulatory framework.  The program for the Workshop can be found here.  Spaces at the workshop are limited but industry participants or other stakeholders interested in attending can enquire via info@commsalliance.com.au.

 

ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE

Communications Alliance is the primary telecommunications industry body in Australia. Its membership is drawn from a wide cross-section of the communications industry, including carriers, carriage and internet service providers, content providers, search engines, equipment vendors, IT companies, consultants and business groups.

Its vision is to provide a unified voice for the telecommunications industry and to lead it into the next generation of converging networks, technologies and services. The prime mission of Communications Alliance is to promote the growth of the Australian communications industry and the protection of consumer interests by fostering the highest standards of business ethics and behaviour through industry self-governance. For more details about Communications Alliance, see www.commsalliance.com.au.

Media information contact:

Kreab
Lucy Chamberlain lchamberlain@kreab.com 0402 106 613