With increased connectivity rapidly penetrating every aspect of day-to-day life, a new report by researchers at the Western Sydney University predicts the roll out of the nbn network will boost Australia’s Gross Domestic Product by around two per cent every year by 2020.
The ‘gen nbn: 2020 and Beyond’ report predicts, drones, 3D printers, Virtual and Augmented Reality as well as home automation will become deeply entrenched in homes and workplaces.
The report also found by 2025-2030, there are likely to be well over 50 billion devices or apps connecting everything from our fridge door to our home security systems, which will be enabled to run concurrently over the nbn network.
Lead researcher Liam McGee told Women Love Tech the completion of the nbn network will see Australia become the world’s most connected continent in terms of broadband access, affordability and speed tiers.
“Our research shows this will help to build a stronger national economy, provide better career pathways, optimise the delivery of innovative healthcare services and implement sustainable futures for our cities and regional towns,” McGee said.
“In the twenty-first century, connectivity has become a new kind of capital, more valuable than natural resources and industrial manufacturing.”
Ben Shaw and Constance Bernard invested in two Soap Bar launderettes in Melbourne ; allowing them to work less, by utilising technology and increased connectivity.
The basic upkeep only requires a weekly visit to clean the machines and empty coin collections. The launderette is opened and closed via automatic locking systems and doesn’t need an on-site attendant.
“Having a high speed finer connection gives us the ability to have multiple customers connected with bandwidth hungry applications, and still have fast access to our cameras, reports, music and washer management console,” said Shaw.
“The vast majority of problems reported can be resolved remotely thanks to fiber. A customer with an emergency won’t have to wait long for us to remotely stop a machine, when a phone or wedding ring is left in a pocket. In our four years running we haven’t experienced any internet downtime, but we did a lot of research and chose a reliable internet service provider, with excellent customer service.”
The ‘gen nbn: 2020 and Beyond’ report predicts:
- An increase in digital technology in health care with advanced video conferencing systems and 3D printing. By 2020, telehealth services, enabled by the nbn network will be able to connect regional, rural and remote areas with access to affordable and convenient GP and specialist healthcare appointments, saving up to $3 billion in annual health costs.
- By 2025, it may be possible to use big data to predict widespread disease outbreaks and by 2030 we are likely to see 3D printing drastically enhance the ability to produce medical aids and prosthetics.
- E-change movement will continue – Access to fast broadband in regional towns and rapid adoption of teleworking is leading people to migrate away from the major cities to regional hotspots. From now to 2030, the nbn network will be a critical enabler to the success of home-grown start-ups across the country and will help to facilitate access to new markets and business opportunities while still enjoying their country or coast-side lifestyles. Close to 400,00 Australians workforce currently work from home, as fast broadband becomes more widespread, these figures could as much as double by 2025.
- Jobs of the future – Connectivity is driving innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths disciplines spurring a transformation of the Australian job market. Health, education and technical services are expected to employ over 4.3 million Australians by 2030, up from the current 3.5 million jobs.
- From now until 2030, we will see a huge increase in online educational resources and services offering better teaching facilities to upskill our nation in key areas such as health and technical services, to harness careers in data science, coding and bio-chemistry.
