About ACBI

The Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation (ACBI) provides unique opportunities to create innovative broadband-enabled services, demonstrate their use in real world situations and evaluate their potential commercial and social value.

ACBI is a collaborative national research initiative which connects people and business to the benefits of game-changing services and applications enabled by next generation broadband technologies.

Who is involved?

ACBI is supported by CSIRO in partnership with National ICT Australia (NICTA), Australia’s two leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) research organisations.  

ACBI draws on their broad and diverse research capabilities.

Foundation funding was provided by the NSW Government with matching resources from CSIRO and NICTA.

More recently, the Tasmanian Government has become a partner and ACBI is in the process of extending this support with other Australian governments.

To support innovative new ways of using Australia’s national broadband infrastructure, ACBI has a formal collaboration agreement with the company building the national broadband network, NBN Co.

Focus areas

ACBI works in the following six areas:

• Media and Entertainment
• Health and Ageing
• Education and Learning
• Government and Business Services
• Smart Infrastructure
• Social and Economic Analysis.

Our focus is on developing and testing technologies and services to provide solutions to nationally important problems.

These include devising new ways of delivering services to rural and regional Australia and finding options for providing home-based care for the growing number of Australians who are aging.

Another important area where broadband offers potential for all Australians is through developing new ways of reducing and managing energy costs.

ACBI’s foundation projects address these urgent needs.

Collaboration

Effective innovation requires engagement between the research sector, industry and communities.

ACBI’s model for creating impact is to demonstrate new services and applications in the real world with real users.

ACBI partners with businesses and government agencies to define projects that address challenges and opportunities presented by next generation networks.

New technologies are disrupting existing business models and opening up opportunities for new ways to provide services and reach customers.

ACBI will help create sandpits for businesses and organisations to trial new ways to doing things, help test new business and service models and speed the time to market for new products and services.

It will also help create the evidence base for understanding the benefits and value of next generation broadband.

Next generation networks

Next generation broadband networks such as Australia’s new national broadband infrastructure provide:

• scalable capacity through extensive deployment of optical fibre complemented by wireless services
• greater symmetry (ability to support real-time two-way applications like video-conferencing)
• quality of service and improved reliability
• national coverage and ubiquity of reach
• support for competing services over a common network platform.

A national broadband network presents a major opportunity to Australia. 

As one of the first major western countries to be implementing a national broadband network, Australia is well placed to be a leader in developing and demonstrating broadband-enabled services and applications.

Impact for industry

Through ACBI, industry can prove the readiness of new services and applications for Australia’s next generation broadband infrastructure. ACBI’s industry and research partners have access to both the Australia’s nascent national broadband network as well as emulation networks for testing advanced applications.

Impact for government

ACBI’s lighthouse projects aim to deliver measurable improvements in health, education, infrastructure and government services.

It is envisaged that ACBI will also attract international investment and create new jobs in the high-tech sector through large-scale collaborative projects to promote innovation in services.

Our people

The Director of ACBI is Mr Colin Griffith.

Mr Griffith is supported by a high level advisory committee:

• Mr Malcolm Long (Chair), Chairman of the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), with extensive experience in media and broadband
• Mr Richard Windeyer, First Assistant Secretary of the Federal Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy
• Mr Jim Hassell, Head of Product Management & Industry Relations, NBN Co
• Dr Ian Oppermann, Director, CSIRO ICT Centre
• Dr Terry Percival, NICTA Director, Broadband and the Digital Economy.
• Mr Barry Buffier, Deputy Director-General, NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services
• Mr Michael Coutts-Trotter Director General NSW Department of Finance and Services

How do I engage with ACBI?

ACBI is keen to hear from companies, government agencies and communities about opportunities for innovative projects and support.

Please contact us by sending a message or phoning.

The monthly ACBI newsletter provides regular updates on these projects and demonstrations.

Read about CSIRO's research in Broadband for Australia.