The Government of Tasmania is implementing a strategy for the development of a competitive broadband services market inTasmania

The Government's overriding objectives are to ensureTasmania realises the economic and community benefits from new broadband infrastructure by:

facilitating a more competitive telecommunications industry structure within Tasmania; and

encouraging new investment in broadband telecommunication facilities within Tasmania.

To further these objectives, the Government,through a Request for Expressions of Interest, is seeking innovative proposals from Respondents who wish to work in a strategic alliance with the Government to provide new competitive broadband services in Tasmania that are leveraged by access to the Government's telecommunication assets.

Options that the Government is prepared to consider include:

a strategic alliance with two full service providers;

a strategic alliance with one or more infrastructure providers and a proactive open access regime for contentproviders to be managed by the infrastructure providers, with possibly a facilities manager for the purpose of managing the Government'sTelecommunication Assets; and

other variations of the above that may be potentially possible.

In addition, the Government invites industry views about the structure of the arrangements that could, or should, be put in place through the strategic alliance which would enhance the service offered to the public and would have the further effect of giving the arrangements the best certainty of commercial success.