The National Broadband Network (NBN) will turbo-charge our digital economy and enable Australia to become a global leader in using the online world - the world of the 21st century. It will make possible new ways of delivering all essential services.

We need to start planning now for this new world to ensure we maximise the opportunities that the National Broadband Network will provide.

The Government is hosting the Realising Our Broadband Future forum to map the applications and business models that will thrive in Australia's high speed broadband future.

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, will open the forum and a number of key speakers, including NBN Co. CEO, Mike Quigley and Jeff Cole, Director USC Annenberg School, will outline the potential of the NBN for Australia's digital economy. The forum will be co-chaired by Dr Paul Twomey and participants will include leaders from all parts of Australia.

Participants will contribute to five discussion streams. Over two days, these streams will debate the possible new applications and business models that will emerge in an NBN-enabled world, conduct a reality check of where we are now, and map what needs to be done to take full advantage of our high-speed broadband enabled digital economy.

Forum participants and the general public can contribute to the discussion via twitter and collaboratively edit the map of our next steps. Plenary sessions of the forum will be webcast live, with audio streaming of other sessions.