Conroy survives gag; Mr X, Fielding on side

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has survived a gag order in the Senate that would have halted any consideration of NBN-related matters - and stopped the Minister even addressing the issue - until he tabled a series of documents related to the fibre roll-out.
 

Coalition seeks to gag Conroy, NBN debate

The Senate has demanded Communications Minister Stephen Conroy table further documents related to the National Broadband Network, including a complete version of the 'Red Book' departmental advice to the incoming government relating to the project.
 

Turnbull NBN cost study bill defeated

Shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull's private members bill seeking to force Government to conduct a cost benefit analysis of the National Broadband Network has been defeated in the lower house by a single vote.
 

Coalition demands NBN wages documents

The union workforce agreements signed with the NBN Company did not apply to the tens of thousands of contractors engaged in the construction of the national broadband network and would do nothing to stop a wages blowout on the project, the Coalition has warned.
 

No NBN Co plan until December: Conroy

The NBN Company business case will not be made public until next month, despite mounting pressure from the Opposition and the Greens for the release of the document.
 

Turnbull telco reform changes defeated

House independents have voted with the Government to defeat proposed ammendments to telecommunications reforms put forward by shadow communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.
 

NBN Co selects Cisco, VMware for datacentre

As the political fight over the National Broadband network gathers heat, the NBN Company has moved ahead with data centre construction, contracting Cisco Systems as its equipment provider.
 

Conroy defends NBN over report

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says the opposition of "selectively reading" an OECD report critical of the National Broadband Network and was using it as a "cloak to hide behind" in its political campaign to the delay the network roll-out.
 

Union agreement cements NBN wages bill

An enterprise bargaining agreement signed between the NBN Company and key unions should be enough to enable the construction of the National Broadband Network without the direct risk of a wages-led cost blow-out, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has told the Senate.
 

Backhaul blackspots program on target: Conroy

The federal Regional Backbone Blackspots Program had reached its halfway point, with 3,000 kilometres of optical fibre already laid, and is on target for completion in the second half of next year, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.