Google pushes need for high speed NBN

Google has made a submission to the Senate Select Committee on the NBN, urging the Federal Government to make the investments and regulatory changes necessary to ensure high-speed internet access.

"Google has a strong interest in the progress of the NBN - both to advance its own mission and also to ensure customers have the best possible access to fast and affordable broadband services," said Iarla Flynn, head of public policy and Government affairs at Google Australia.

For its own sake, Google notes that higher speed internet is in its financial interests.

"Google's own research has shown that users can detect very small changes in speed, and that Google would lose traffic by being just a fraction of a second slower," Flynn said.

The research found that slowing down Google's search results page by under half a second (100 to 400 milliseconds) has a measurable impact on the number of searches per user (between -0.2 percent and -0.6 percent).

From a regulatory perspective, Google backed an NBN operator that offers "services on a wholesale basis to independent providers on fair and transparent terms."

Flynn tied regulatory reform with Google's own agenda for  'net neutrality' - the model by which all communications on a network is prioritised equally and content is served free of restrictions.

"To unlock the full potential of the NBN and the internet access it will deliver, it is crucial to implement policies that maintain the internet's fundamentally open, neutral and non-discriminatory nature," Flynn said.

Flynn said faster broadband speeds bring about "participation and transparency" in Australia's halls of power, citing the potential for high-definition video conferencing covering Question Time at Parliament House or the annual general meetings of listed companies.