Australian Government further delays “National Broadband Network”

by Alex Zaharov-Reutt

Saturday, 19 July 2008

Page 1 of 4 ! With any Australian fibre-based broadband network still up to 5 years away, the date of completion just got extended by at least 6 months as the Australian Federal Government extends the time for “robust proposals” to be submitted for consideration. As usual, the Federal Opposition is outraged! Given the fact that building a nationwide fibre-based broadband network (NBN) for a country the size of Australia is a serious and seriously expensive undertaking, the fact that the “proposals” process has been delayed can be seen as both a good and a bad thing. When the Australian Federal Government tried rushing the process earlier this year, the Federal Opposition cried foul: not enough time was being given to all telecommunications companies to get their proposals in order, and not enough information was available about Australia’s existing telecommunications infrastructure. So, the Federal Government, though Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, decided to delay the proposals process to give all interested players a fair tilt at coming up with realistic plans, ensuring that anyone who wanted to apply had a 12 week window in which to get all their affairs in order. The next question was when this 12 week window would officially open, and the information has just come to light: towards the end of 2008. This has caused the Federal Opposition to cry foul again, though Opposition Communications Spokesman Bruce Billson, berating the Government for the extra delay, although it must be noted that after nearly 12 years in power, the now-Federal Opposition did have plenty of time of its own to ensure a fibre-based network would be built. After all, they fully owned Telstra, Australia’s dominant telecommunications company at the time, and could have asked it to do anything they wanted. Instead, they sold it off in three tranches, and then proceeded to fight with Telstra on all kinds of telecommunications issues, instead of getting on with the business of giving Australians a fast and affordable fibre-based broadband network! While I’m not really a fan of any flavour of politician, the current Rudd Labor Federal Government came up with a pledge before it won office, which was to build a fibre-based nationwide network capable of minimum speeds of 12Mbps. When they were elected, this pledge turned into the following commitment: “As a key element of its plan for the future, the Australian Government has committed to provide up to $4.7 billion and to consider necessary regulatory changes to facilitate the roll-out of a new open access, high-speed, fibre-based broadband network, providing downlink speeds of at least 12 megabits per second to 98 per cent of Australian homes and businesses.” So, what does the Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy, have to specifically say about the latest delay and why it is being implemented? Please read on to page 2. << First page <   1 2 3 4 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

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