Despite the cloudy, gloomy outlook, I feel rather cheerful like a robin in spring.

Pictured left: Port Melbourne – notice the dark clouds?

This is because after experiencing two days of slow, expensive Internet access in a luxury hotel in Melbourne, I woke up to the news that Australia may soon have cheaper, faster broadband access nation-wide.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard (who looks like a dead ringer for actress Jodie Foster by the way) has cleared the first political hurdle to make her government’s $35 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) a reality. 

I have been watching the political debate unfold with fascination. Australian politics are so feisty compared to the place I live in – think Africa’s game parks vs the Night Safari.

Here, they call each other names and are generally rude to each other. Watching Parliament in session is rather entertaining – it’s like watching reality TV which also seems to be taking Australia by storm.

“The Brave One” (as I call Ms Gillard privately) called it “a win” for everyone – she’s now able to take the bill for a final vote. “This is a reform literally 30 years in the making,” Gillard told reporters on Wednesday.

The summary of the NBN business plan said it expected to deliver a fibre network to 8.3 million of Australia’s 10.9 million homes, with 12 million homes and businesses to be passed by fibre or have access to wireless or satellite when the network is completed.

As a leisure and business traveller to Australia, this is good news. I am staying at the Grand Hyatt whose Internet is provided by DOCOMO interTouch. If you are not part of the inner circle, you have a choice of paying 55 cents a minute or up to a maximum of A$29 per day, per computer – no multiple devices allowed. 

Which doesn’t give you much choice really. Plus, connection is slow compared to either Singapore or Luang Prabang, Laos.

I recall a session at the Hong Kong Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) I was moderating last month. The subject of Internet and hotels was brought up and a hotel owner from Australia said it was difficult for hotels to offer guests free Internet access because it was a cost to them. “You pay for Internet at home, don’t you?” he asked.

Michael Issenberg, chairman and chief operating officer of Accor Asia Pacific, offered a similar argument when I asked him the same question at ITB Asia.

This argument doesn’t hold much water, I reckon. At home, I also pay for my utilities – electricity, water, etc. In a hotel, these utilities are part of the room rate – I don’t expect to be charged by usage (although perhaps this could be a new business model).

And I think that’s the difference – are hotels in the utilities sector or the hospitality business? In the old days, hotels charged for gym use – now a gym is a standard in a business hotel room rate.

Hospitality is defined as “kindness in welcoming guests or strangers” although my personal favourite is “hospitality is the art of making guests feel at home when you wish they were”.

At HICAP, too, the example of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts was cited as a hotel group that had decided to invest in making Internet available and free throughout all its hotels to all its guests – a decision it made during the global financial crisis in 2009. It cost the company about US$20 million, we were told.

Taking the hospitality argument further and since we supposedly live in the age of customisation, imagine if Grand Hyatt had recognised me as a media person and had said, because we know what you do, we are happy to offer you free connectivity throughout your stay? Imagine what I’d have tweeted. (See article)

Incidentally, I also checked out the new Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre (see left, one of the meeting rooms). It’s a great looking venue in a fabulous location and it’s touted to be environmentally-friendly and super hi-tech. The rooms are very well designed – minimalist, great use of space leaving organisers free to do what they want with that space.

Internet access for delegates? There’s also a payment wall.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not asking for free wi-fi everywhere (although that’d be nice) but I think there needs to be a fresh approach to how hotels and venues package the entire customer experience which happens to include all the utilities needed for a comfortable stay or a successful event in this day and age,

So anyway, this morning, I had to wake up early to have a hot shower because since the hotel is undergoing maintenance, the hot water utility will be unavailable between 9am and 7pm.

I guess I will have to show up at the first WIT*e in Australia this evening, unshowered.

Featured image credit (Diverse raised hands in front of blackboard): Ockra/iStock