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Regional Universities as

Anchor Tenants for

Digitally-Led Regional Development

Peter Elford, Director, Government Relations and eResearch

peter.elford@aarnet.edu.au

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Transformational digital connectivity to enable

better education, training and research outcomes

for regional Australia

• AARNet

• Regional Universities – Digital Anchor Tenants

• Regional Development Opportunity

• Case Studies

• Next Steps

Agenda

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THE AUSTRALIAN ACADEMIC AND

RESEARCH NETWORK – AARNET

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AARNet’s Mission

To provide

telecommunications

services to the

Australian research and

education sector which

the market does not

provide or does not

provide at a reasonable

price

Australia is critically dependent

on networking because of both

our location and distributed

population

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Education and research are increasingly digitally facilitated and dependent

• Research: Big data, HPC, instruments, sharing, collaboration, …

• Education: Blended, online, MOOCs, virtual classrooms …

Connectivity is the fundamental disruptor

• The Internet, mobility, international education

National Research and Education Networks are national assets that remove technical and commercial barriers to innovation in education and research

• Particularly for regional institutions

AARNet is Australia’s NREN

Digital Disruption in Universities

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National Community

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Schools,

TAFEs PFRAs

Hospitals

InstrumentsCultural

Universities

National Community

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International National Research Network Community

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Differentiation

Demand Aggregation,

Industry Engagement

Standalone, Not For Profit

Company

Community Subscription

ModelRegional, National,

International Connectivity

Operating Surplus Re-

Invested, Long Term

Engineered for ultra-high

performance, low congestion

Direct Access to

Fibre, Fibre as a Pooled

Asset

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REGIONAL UNIVERSITIES

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• Regional Universities

– Regional University Network (RUN)

– Innovative Research Universities (IRU)

• Regional campuses

• Study Centres

• TAFE Partnerships

• Hospitals

• Research instruments, facilities

Regional Universities, Campuses, Facilities

A majority of Australian

universities operate within and

throughout regional Australia

Central QLD

Southern QLD

Sunshine Coast

Southern Cross

Southern Cross

Federation

James Cook, Charles Darwin …

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• The universities that serve and support regional Australia play

prominent roles in their communities, as educational institutions,

major employers, support centres and as a community hubs

Regional Impact

RUN Regional Impact Study, 2013

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Regional Australia

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AARNet Regional Reach

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY

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• Education is increasingly dependent on technology to deliver digital experiences and digital content

• There is a significant digital divide between schools in regional Australia and those in metropolitan areas

• The divide is a result of poor facilities, including broadband and the lack of a teaching environment that attracts and retains quality teachers

• Regional education should not be constrained by technology limitations (broadband speed or congestion) or commercial concerns (excessive/usage based charging)

• The NBN is not a solution for schools– Or TAFE’s or libraries ….

The Challenge

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• NBN provides residential services, not institutional– Technically and commercially irrelevant for AARNet services

– Limited bandwidth (most AARNet connections are 1G, 10G)

– Asymmetric (100/40)

– Highly congested (assumes lots of individuals)

– Expensive for dedicated bandwidth

• In regional Australia, much of the extra costof telecommunications is “backhaul” from theregion, not access within the region

• AARNet has dedicated backhaul, and can build access– And will overbuild the NBN in most instances*

So what about the NBN ?

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• The quality of education,

health, and other government

services influence where

individuals and families

choose to live

• The infrastructure AARNet

builds to support regional

connectivity for its university

shareholders can be

leveraged by other education

and research institutions

The Opportunity

Un

ivers

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K12, V

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uca

tio

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Rese

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Inn

ova

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Regional Outcomes

Cu

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Pre

cin

cts

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CASE STUDIES

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• Anchor:

– University of South Australia

– Regional Connections project (with Federal support)

• Mt. Gambier learning centre and Whyalla campus

• TAFE, schools, Naracoorte Hospital, …

Mount Gambier and Whyalla, SA

Laying fibre under Stewart Terrace in

Naracoorte (between Keith and Mt Gambier UniSA Whyalla Campushttp://www.naracoorteherald.com.au/story/2860735/fibre-cable-runs-through-town/

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• Anchor:

– Federal Regional Blackspots Backhaul – Perth-Geraldton

– Square Kilometre Array – Murchison Radio Observatory

Central Region (Durack) TAFE

http://news.aarnet.edu.au/durack-connects-to-aarnet-leading-the-way-for-vocational-education-training-in-wa/

Martyn Edwards, Manager of

Information Systems at Durack TAFE

“It is an exciting development

with benefits that include

providing students with free

access to cloud computing

services like Microsoft Office 365

and providing unlimited space in

the cloud”

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• Anchor:

– Garvan Institute, Moss Vale, NSW

• Local Champion: ACE Internet Services

• 8 Schools and Bradman Museum

Highlands Health Education Research Network

ACE Internet tower and

microwave dishes

“The HHERN has helped transform the educational

options for our College and it means our students

and teachers are now working within a world class

internet bandwidth environment. As a springboard

to their future, it is huge boost for our young

people, especially for a regional area like the

Southern Highlands that almost certainly wouldn’t

otherwise have that advantage.”

Chris McDermott, Principal of Chevalier College, Buradoo

https://www.aarnet.edu.au/case-studies/bridging-the-digital-divide-in-regional-australia

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• Anchor:

– Deakin University

– City of Geelong

– G21 Alliance

• ~30 Schools, Library

Geelong Secondary Schools and Community

(GSSC) Digital Learning Hub (PROPOSED)

Schools and students in regional cities

… are disadvantaged by the much lower

capacity and speed of their Internet

connection. This means students and

their teachers do not have access to the

full range of on-line educational

resources and students will be under-

prepared for their place in a digital-

enabled workforce. It also adds to the

challenges of keeping students

engaged with their schooling and may

discourage families moving to regional

Victoria because of concern about

education resources for their children.

GSSC Business Case, Executive Summaryhttp://www.g21.com.au/geelong-secondary-schools-community-digital-learning-hub

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NEXT STEPS

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Anchor Institution

Independent, Catholic, State Schools (Principals)

TAFE Institutes and VET organisations

Council (Local infrastructure, shared costs)

Chamber of Commerce

Cultural Precinct (Libraries, Museums)

Local, State, Federal MP’s

Regional Development Australia Committee

Commercial Entities (Shared costs)

Regional Recipe - Stakeholders L

oca

lCh

amp

ion

Su

stai

nab

ility

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FundingBusiness

CaseMoU’s

Town Hall Gatherings

Shared Value

Proposition

Preliminary Assessment

Regional Recipe – Best Practice

• Is this an opportunity for your region ?

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Questions ?

Thank You!