Monday, October 11, 2010

Australia's National Broadband Network

NBN was formed as an alternative to Telstra's unwillingness to cooperate to provide highspeed broadband to all of Australia. When the-then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced this, I applauded the proposal. Now I think otherwise.

First, it is unnecessary to provide high speed broadband to all over Australia. Remote areas are best served by upgrading existing copper lines to keep the cost down. Think: would rural Australia benefit from having a dual carriage expressway serving the town? Would the people be best served by high speed broadband or by having better school or better medical facilities?

What really takes the cake for governmental wisdom is the fact that Prime Minister Julia Gillard wants to make it compulsory for every household to sign up for NBN's broadband service. Yes, that's reported in the news today. If you don't sign up, you cannot subscribe to the telephone service.

Don't ask about the cost to subscribers yet; Julia is not saying, or does not know. As for the project cost, $43bil is just the indicative price. My bet is that it will be much more before we see the light at the end of the fibre optic.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Most people learn from the hard time in the 90's when housing collapsed. The mining boom turned the economy around after 2003 recession. Labor party used all surplus in ONE GO during the GFC! Next...more taxes and squeeze more $$$$$ from every where. Right from Taxes and All major revenue! 25B cost of desalination plant and MYKI 1.2B....more to come. Let's bankrupt the GOVT (BIG BROTHER)!

NKoh said...

I understand that one of the 3 Amigos who gave Julia Gillard a lifeline does noe even know how to use the internet. Yet they insist on having the NBN serve the rural areas!

nelson