ZDNet is reporting that the NSW state government is promising free Wi-Fi for major CBD areas around the state. This is great, and what’s even better is that Penrith is included on the list! The report has just come out, no details yet, and we all know what political promises are worth. But still, this is at least a sign that the Australian governments are starting to see the benefit of new technology.

The NSW state government will in early 2007 go shopping for suppliers to establish “universal coverage” of free Wi-Fi in Sydney’s central business district, in addition to the suburbs of Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool and outlying cities Newcastle, Wollongong and Gosford.

The report in the Australian IT also mentions some other policies that seem promising:

Mr Iemma also announced the government would set up an Innovation Council and secretariat to look at ways of improving the innovation capacity of buyers in key industry sectors.

The industry sectors are logistics and transaction services, financial services, entertainment, design and media, manufacturing and resources.

Nice to see a bit of investment in innovation. I’m tired of Australians inventing great stuff, only to have the US actually implement it.

Update: Some more details come to light

The three-year plan, announced by NSW premier Morris Iemma today, will use existing service suppliers to provide free wireless internet coverage in the main business districts of Sydney and North Sydney, Parramatta, Liverpool, Newcastle, Wollongong and Gosford.

…

It was likely that a “basic”, download-restricted service, possibly supported by advertising, would be provided for free, with higher speeds and greater download allowances available to paying customers, a spokesman for NSW Commerce Minister John Della Bosca said.

Not sure how the advertising would work? What are they going to do, force you to use their special browser that has built-in banner ads? Or do a http rewrite at the gateway and plaster ads all over the pages you look at?

[tags]Australia, Wireless, Internet, Politics[/tags]