Susan Crawford, special assistant to the President Obama for science, technology and innovation policy and a member of the National Economic Council, said she is "intrigued" by the Australian model.

• Obama Adviser Eyes Government-Built Broadband System, Congressdaily's Techcentral Issue Of The Week, May 26, 2009.

[Australian] Officials have released an historic government plan to spend tens of billions of dollars constructing a nationwide, state-of-the-art broadband network featuring speeds 100 times faster than today's technology.

The new infrastructure would reach every citizen, delivering affordable connections at taxpayer-subsidized rates...

...Despite Crawford's interest, skeptics abound.