With independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott giving the Labor Party the nod on Tuesday, the country’s $43 billion national broadband network has been given the green light to return to rollout mode.

Topping it off, Prime Minister Gillard has announced regional Australian’s will not be disadvantaged with 93 per cent of Australians set to pay the same price to access the internet once the existing copper wires are replaced with high-speed optical fibre cables.

Sunraysia business leaders welcomed the move yesterday, saying faster internet speeds would allow technology to continue to move forward.

Leading Edge Computers director and Mildura Rural City councillor Nick Cavallo said while there were still questions to be answered, the broadband rollout was a positive step.

“I guess anything that’s an improvement is good,” he said.

“We’ve been lucky here because both capable and major internet players are here.

“So we have quite good internet coverage.

“But whatever level this lifts it too, it will lift the whole lot.

“So whatever happens, here, the speed will increase.”

For more of this story, purchase your copy of Thursday’s Sunraysia Daily 9/9/2010.