AAPT a valid NBN dissenter or just a can't do telco?

Stan Beer
Monday, 13 April 2009 09:11

Business IT - Technology

On the day of the $43 billion National Broadband Network announcement last week, NZ Telecom-owned service provider AAPT joined the chorus of plaudits. The next day AAPT's CEO was on national TV slamming the NBN  and FTTH as economically unviable. Are the AAPT views concerning the NBN valid or is it just another can't do telco?

AAPT describes itself as Australia's third largest telecommunications company and its CEO Paul Broad last week was keen to add its voice to the almost universal shouts of joy coming from all sectors of the Australian telecoms industry - except perhaps a few unsuccessful tenderers.

It almost seemed as if AAPT might have had a change of heart from its stance of open skepticism about the economics of FTTN and FTTH and was making an attempt to jump aboard the gravy train.

However, AAPT, which pulled out of the NBN bidding process last year, claiming that it couldn't come up with a model to make it pay, went right back to its negative contrarian stance the very next day.

According to Paul Broad, it's OK for our Government to invest in infrastructure for our underserviced  and black spot areas. However, fibre to the home (FTTH) or even fibre to the node (FTTN) are a waste of money and not needed.

Broad told the ABC Lateline program that Australians don't need FTTH and that existing copper is fine. He claimed that consumers will have to pay $200 a month for use of the NBN.

"I just don't think that people'll are going to pay double for something they don't need," said Broad on the ABC.

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