Apple's Steve Wozniak: I want to become Australian

Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with the late Steve Jobs, revealed his fondness for Australia and said he hopes to become a citizen.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Photo: REUTERS

"I actually like this country and want to become a citizen," he told the Australian Financial Review, saying he was particularly impressed with plans to roll out a national broadband network across the country.

Wozniak, who quit Apple in 1987 after 12 years, told local radio in Brisbane last week that he enjoyed his regular visits to Australia.

"I am... on the way to become an Australian citizen, that's a littlenown fact," he told station 4BC after queuing up to buy the new generation iPhone 5.

"It turns out that I get to keep my American citizenship," he added.

"I intend, you know who knows what will follow through in the next five years, I intend to call myself an Australian and feel an Australian, and study the history and become, you know, as much of a real citizen here as I can."

In the interview with the Financial Review, Wozniak said the national broadband network was one of the reasons he wants to become a citizen.

Australia's ambitious Aus$35.9 billion ($37.4 billion) National Broadband Network (NBN) aims to connect all Australians to superfast Internet by 2021 in a move the government hopes will transform the country's economy.

Wozniak said his home in California was not connected to a broadband service and there was no "political idea" to bring it to everyone in the United States.

"There's only one set of wires to be on and I'm not going to pull strings to get them to do something special for me," he said.

Under the NBN scheme, 93 per cent of homes, schools and businesses will be linked by fibre optic while those in more remote regions of the vast nation will receive their service by fixed wireless and satellite technologies.