Research and Consultancy Interaction
Specific Research and Development (R&D) Contracts
Australian Telecommunications and Electronics Research Board
Tertiary Education Course Advisory Bodies
Education and Training Interaction
Telstra's origins date back to 1901, when the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) was established to manage all domestic telephone, telegraph and postal services. The Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC) was established in 1946 to manage Australia's international telecommunications.
The Australian Telecommunications Commission, trading as Telecom Australia, was created as a separate entity in July 1975 following the break-up of the PMG. OTC and Telecom Australia became the Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (AOTC) following a merger in February 1992.
Telstra Corporation Limited became the legal corporate name of the merged entity in April 1993.
Research and Consultancy Interaction
The Telecom Research Laboratories (TRL) have long been a major research performer and are credited with playing a major role in creating the strength of Australia's telecommunication services. Much of their research was basic, and relationships with the university system were close.
With the deregulation of the Australian telecommunications industry, TRL, like all other components of the company, have moved to become much more oriented to the company's business objectives. This has required the development of a much stronger focus on research to support the drive for competitive differentiation. TRL is the major agent for research interaction with universities on behalf of Telstra. Five distinct types of relationships are identified by the Research Director.
Details of the present linkages follow.
Involvement in the Commonwealth Government's Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program
Telstra has selectively chosen to be part of a limited number of the Commonwealth Government's Cooperative Research Centres. Telstra's involvement is mainly through the sharing of research information between TRL and the participants. This 'in-kind' contribution to a CRC is, in some cases, augmented by cash inputs to cover the conduct of specific research and development under contract to one or more of the CRC participants.
TRL is currently involved with the following CRCs.
Australian Photonics Cooperative Research Centre - Universities of Melbourne and Sydney
TRL is a participant in the APCRC through research and development contracts with both Melbourne and Sydney Universities and by activities undertaken within its own research program which are shared with the CRC participants. The work with Melbourne University goes back to July 1989 for pioneering research in the important areas of photonics, the development of switching techniques based on optical instead of electrical methods. TRL is also actively supporting research in the Optical Fibre Technology Centre of Sydney University and is specifically contributing to the development of in-fibre grating technology.
Distributed System Technology Cooperative Research Centre - University of Queensland
This CRC develops the technologies to build distributed information systems providing sophisticated information services to geographically dispersed users over powerful networks. TRL's contribution to the CRC is primarily through the funding of the Telstra Centre of Expertise in Distributed Information Systems which was established at the University of Queensland in 1988 and is now an important part of the CRC. The Centre facilitates research into the architectures, management and standards development for the networking of information held on different computers. This work is of particular importance in network management, intelligent networks and charging and billing functions as well as in a range of service offerings such as directories and other network control systems. TRL is planning to alter the balance between in-kind support and direct funding for this CRC to improve the technology transfer between the organisations.
Research Data Network Cooperative Research Centre - Monash University
The Research Data Network (RDN) CRC conducts research and education programs in areas relating to communications network technologies, applications and services. It also supports network infrastructure development, including the upgrade of the Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet) which is now owned and operated by Telstra. Telstra's involvement includes the provision of access to broadband facilities such as the Experimental Broadband Network at the various CRC participants' sites. TRL supports an research and development program which is being conducted collaboratively with the Monash University node of the CRC.
Telstra Centres of Expertise have been established in selected tertiary institutions to augment Telstra's needs for research in important telecommunications topics. The Centres provide important additional research skills which are an adjunct to Telstra's longer-term research topics. They also foster a pool of expertise at both graduate and postgraduate levels to enhance future recruitment for Telstra and the telecommunications industry.
The work of each Centre is supported by a contract between Telstra and the tertiary institution. The contract defines the research topics to be studied in terms of specific deliverables (reports, prototypes, etc.) and institutes a liaison board to plan, maintain and review the agreed work.
The current Centres of Expertise are as follows.
Centre of Teletraffic Engineering - University of Adelaide
The research undertaken at this Centre assists Telstra's investigations of teletraffic techniques for the optimisation of network dimensioning and planning. The Centre develops traffic engineering tools and techniques comprising computer systems which harness the mathematical principles of teletraffic engineering. These tools are being used in the planning, design and management of Telstra's networks and telecommunications services. Centre personnel are active in training Telstra's network planners in the principles and practices of network dimensioning and optimisation.
Centre of Expertise in Distributed Information Systems - University of Queensland
This Centre has played a significant part in attracting Commonwealth funding under the Cooperative Research Centre program for the Distributed Systems Technology Centre.
Switched Networks Research Centre - University of Wollongong
This Centre conducts specialist research on Intelligent Network and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (Fast Packet) topics. These studies include the performance of Intelligent Network architectures in current telephony networks, the design of test and performance measurement instruments, the effects of protocol design on Asynchronous Transfer Mode signalling performance, methods of providing enhanced supplementary services (such as call forwarding), and techniques required to enable a single call to use the public telephony, ISDN, AUSTPAC, MobileNet and Asynchronous Transfer Mode networks.
Telecommunications Software Research Centre - University of Wollongong
This Centre conducts research and development in three areas of telecommunications software with specific emphasis on software engineering techniques which were originally developed for computer systems and their application to distributed network techniques in the telecommunications industry.
Mobile Communications Research Centre - University of South Australia
This Centre of Expertise at the University of South Australia commenced in February 1990 as the Mobile Communications Research Laboratory where Telstra sought to encourage the growth and capability of the Laboratory as a precursor to the establishment, in 1992, of the work under the full Centres of Expertise scheme. The work of the Centre encompasses studies in code division multiple access, packet techniques for wireless access, the development of prototype hardware and test equipment and other shorter-term projects aimed at exploring the possibilities for true 'personal communication'.
Specific Research and Development (R&D) Contracts
TRL operates research and development programs under short-to medium-term contracts with tertiary academic institutions (as well as with industry and government institutions including the CSIRO). These research and development projects augment Telstra's internal resources for research into communications and related fields. This work also helps to 'seed' developments in industry and academe resulting in new opportunities for Australian organisations and the provision of the next generation of skilled people for Australia's telecommunications sector.
Most of these specific research and development contracts are let and supervised by TRL on behalf of research and development investigations being conducted for Telstra Business Unit clients. Currently, some 10 contracts for specific research and development are operating with universities.
Telstra, through its Research Laboratories, assists a select number of outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate students who are undertaking studies in telecommunications topics at Australian tertiary educational institutions.
The fellowship scheme for undergraduate students is for those who are completing the final year of a course of tertiary study leading to a Bachelor Degree in engineering or science. While the fellowship scheme does not commit the holder to join Telstra on graduation, it does require them to work at TRL during their vacation period and it is hoped that they will favourably consider selecting Telstra for their future professional career.
The postgraduate fellowship scheme enables selected people to pursue a higher degree in the telecommunications field.
An additional scheme for academic staff of Australian tertiary educational institutions provides a short-term fellowship to enable them to undertake specific research work at TRL during their sabbatical leave or vacation. This is to encourage academic staff to include telecommunications topics in their curricula and thus benefit the future Australian telecommunications sector.
Australian Telecommunications and Electronics Research Board
The Australian Telecommunications and Electronics Research Board (ATERB) is a cooperative institution funded by Telstra, CSIRO and the Department of Defence. ATERB derives from the former Radio Research Board which was founded by the same partners in 1927 for the purpose of supporting research relevant to the sponsoring bodies in the fields of telecommunications and computing science. The encouragement of these research topics ensures that universities maintain industry-relevant curricula and research capabilities to serve and develop the telecommunications industry within Australia.
Tertiary Education Course Advisory Bodies
Senior staff of Telstra are active members of a range of advisory committees of education establishments. Their advice to these committees ensures that the teaching programs offered by tertiary institutions continue to have relevance to the needs of Telstra and the telecommunications industry.
Education and Training Interaction
Linkages between Telstra and the universities in the fields of education and training are managed through the Education and Industry Training Strategy Unit, Telstra Learning. As part of the development of their people, Telstra, through Telstra Learning, is establishing a learning culture throughout the Corporation. Employees are encouraged to use their full capacities to learn continuously, to initiate, to question, to be creative and to express their ideas freely. The new learning culture also encourages managers to support their staff better, to treat them as their customers, and develop their own skills in recognising problems. Telstra has identified specific education and training needs and called for tenders from universities to supply the required services. This mechanism has also been used as a process of accreditation of in-company programs.
In general, Telstra staff are involved in both design and delivery, and in some cases the link with the university is seen as a temporary relationship which will be supplanted by full in-house delivery.
Specific programs currently in operation are:
This is designed for front line managers to develop key management skills. It is managed through a joint Steering Committee of Telstra and Deakin Australia.
This is designed to develop professional skills of Telstra staff involved in training.
As one of Australia's largest companies, Telstra is moving to become a far more demanding customer of the university education system. The previous model of recruiting generally educated electrical/electronic engineers is no longer considered adequate. Telstra is seeking to influence government policy and the policies of individual universities, to deliver to industry, graduates who have the necessary skills to enter the telecommunications industry and make an immediate contribution. Greater flexibility is expected from universities, particularly in articulation of company in-house technical training into university degree programs.