Provision of Wide Area Network Data Services to the Broadband for Rural Tasmania (BRT) Project

The Department of Premier and Cabinet seeks Tenderers to submit proposals to provide broadband telecommunications infrastructure and services to a selection of towns across regional and rural Tasmania. At each selected town the Tenderers would then connect the infrastructure and services to various health and education institutions. The provision of these services will enable delivery of a range of enhanced on-line services to the rural based education and health service institutions operated by: The Department of Education; The Department of Health and Human Services; The Institute of TAFE Tasmania; and The University of Tasmania In seeking the most suitable proposals, the Department intends to contract up to two Tenderers to undertake Pilot service projects at Queenstown and Scottsdale, commencing in late 2003. These Pilot services will be delivered to 5 institutions in each town and will assist the Department to: assess if services offered are suitable for broader roll-out to other towns and institutions; and identify the towns in which the suitable services would most effectively operate, in delivering the enhanced on-line services. The Department expects the ongoing requirement for any services arising from the conduct of these Pilots will be for a period of 3 years. The Broadband for Rural Tasmania Project is supported by the Commonwealth through the National Communications Fund of the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts.