CENTRE FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY "SUBMISSION to ICT PROCUREMENT TASKFORCE ON UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS The consultation paper refers to unsolicited proposals briefly as follows: • P2 “unsolicited proposals may not be given full consideration” • P7 “…the Commonwealth Procurement Rules [also] allow agencies to contract with industry following unsolicited proposals, as long as value for money is achieved.” On the face of it, unsolicited proposals are allowed, but not encouraged. There does not appear to be a process or mechanism for Governments to respond actively to unsolicited ICT proposals. As a tangible example of the limitations of this approach, I cite the Mobile Blackspot Program. Successive Commonwealth Governments have addressed community demand for better coverage by liaising with the three licenced mobile carriers to develop joint funding arrangements for the implementation of new mobile towers. The current Mobile Blackspot Program is the latest iteration of this approach. Full capability (macro cell) mobile base stations (“towers”) are high capital cost, averaging $800,000 each. These high costs preclude implementation in many remote locations where resident and other user populations are too small to provide a sufficient rate of return on the investment. Our company (Centre for Appropriate Technology Limited) has developed a single user passive repeater facility (“Mobile Phone Hotspot”) that complements existing macro cell coverage by doubling the base station linear range. The repeater is designed for turnkey installation in remote area unattended locations. There has been success in interesting the Northern Territory Government in these facilities through a high level unsolicited proposal, to the extent that 40 units have now been installed in roadside stops, Aboriginal communities and Parks in the NT, thus confirming the substance of this innovation. However, there is nothing in the mobile blackspot program mechanisms to encourage or respond to proposals like this; only mainstream offerings from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have been contemplated and considered. While the Commonwealth cannot be expected to predict such ICT innovations, public benefit could flow from it funding a modest unit with the capacity to respond actively to alternatives and opportunities like this, explore their applicability, and examine funding options in conjunction with the proponents."
CENTRE FOR APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY "SUBMISSION to ICT PROCUREMENT TASKFORCE ON UNSOLICITED PROPOSALS The consultation paper refers to unsolicited proposals briefly as follows: • P2 “unsolicited proposals may not be given full consideration” • P7 “…the Commonwealth Procurement Rules [also] allow agencies to contract with industry following unsolicited proposals, as long as value for money is achieved.” On the face of it, unsolicited proposals are allowed, but not encouraged. There does not appear to be a process or mechanism for Governments to respond actively to unsolicited ICT proposals. As a tangible example of the limitations of this approach, I cite the Mobile Blackspot Program. Successive Commonwealth Governments have addressed community demand for better coverage by liaising with the three licenced mobile carriers to develop joint funding arrangements for the implementation of new mobile towers. The current Mobile Blackspot Program is the latest iteration of this approach. Full capability (macro cell) mobile base stations (“towers”) are high capital cost, averaging $800,000 each. These high costs preclude implementation in many remote locations where resident and other user populations are too small to provide a sufficient rate of return on the investment. Our company (Centre for Appropriate Technology Limited) has developed a single user passive repeater facility (“Mobile Phone Hotspot”) that complements existing macro cell coverage by doubling the base station linear range. The repeater is designed for turnkey installation in remote area unattended locations. There has been success in interesting the Northern Territory Government in these facilities through a high level unsolicited proposal, to the extent that 40 units have now been installed in roadside stops, Aboriginal communities and Parks in the NT, thus confirming the substance of this innovation. However, there is nothing in the mobile blackspot program mechanisms to encourage or respond to proposals like this; only mainstream offerings from Telstra, Optus and Vodafone have been contemplated and considered. While the Commonwealth cannot be expected to predict such ICT innovations, public benefit could flow from it funding a modest unit with the capacity to respond actively to alternatives and opportunities like this, explore their applicability, and examine funding options in conjunction with the proponents."
8-centre-for-appropriate-technology.docx