Regional Vic gets $10m broadband boost

The Victorian Government has announced an additional $10 million in funding for broadband projects as part of its Collaborative Internet Innovation Fund, designed to capitalise on the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The funding is in addition to the $5 million already announced for the fund last week as part of the government's $110 million ICT Action Plan.

Victorian ICT Minister John Lenders demonstrated one such project this morning, with regional Victorian primary school students receiving music lessons from a musician with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra via a remote video-conferencing connection.

"Schools like Omeo Primary School can experience the same high level of music education as students in city schools thanks to the use of innovative broadband applications," Lenders said in a statement.

Lenders said that government, businesses, community and industry will be invited to apply for the funding in Re-Innovate, the regional-specific broadband fund, in mid-2011.

"These grants will encourage more Victorians to use their skills and ideas to create jobs and investment in metropolitan and regional Victoria."

"[The Collaborative Internet Innovation Fund] encourages Victorians to develop and pilot high-speed broadband applications and services ready for use on the NBN, with grants of up to $500,000 available for community and industry groups and up to $1 million for government projects," Lenders said.