Grant calls on IT industry to widen the NBN scope

The IT sector is talking to the wrong industry about our broadband future, according to managing director of Data#3, John Grant.

At the Government’s broadband future forum on Thursday, Grant argued that the IT sector wasn’t doing its bit to collaborate with the business sector.

"We spend a lot of time preaching to ourselves,” Grant said.

“I hope we’re all very self-satisfied with that because it’s a lovely exercise but it’s actually ... a waste of time.”

He said that the IT industry had to “be advocates” and reach out to other industries.

“We’ve got to be advocates and one of the things our industry needs to do is ... we need to go and talk to the people in the business who are not in the industry and tell them what can be done,” he said.

It followed an audience survey in which Grant asked delegates to put their hands up if they were in the IT industry.

Linked gallery: Photos: Realising Our Broadband Future Forum

Not surprisingly, most were.