Stuart Corner
Thursday, 21 June 2007 14:06
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
It would be laughable were it not so important, but with the full glare of the media spotlight on the Government's decision to hand Optus/Elders close to $1 billion, a large chunk of it for a wireless network, both sides of politics are struggling to respond and/or score points against the other. They should tread warily. WiMAX is a minefield for all but the most technology savvy.
Yesterday Keith Ondarchie CEO of Clever Networks (formerly Access Providers) took issue with the ill-informed comments of ALP leader, Kevin Rudd. And has the head of a company that has been running commercial services over fixed wireless networks in Melbourne for several years, he should be able to speak with some authority.
"Kevin Rudd has publicly made a number of statements on wireless technology...including comments that wireless technologies are 'second-rate' and have a maximum distance of 20km. Both of these statements are untrue...Comments like this stifle competition in the Australian telecommunications industry – hurting companies trying to bring alternatives to the market while protecting Tier One incumbents that have a vested interest in protecting fixed-line revenues."
Now wireless has been part of the broadband provider's arsenal for several years and it would be unlikely to find a politician that has not spoken out in its favour at some time. Sure enough, with the ALP ranting against the Government's latest decision, comms minister Helen Coonan was able to trawl the archive of ALP utterances and find something with which to berate shadow comms minister Stephen Conroy.
"Yesterday," she said "Senator Conroy described wireless as a 'second-class outcome' but on his own website www.senatorconroy.com.au, [actually it is just .com!] he contradicts himself with the transcript of his speech to the Connecting Up Conference in 2005. 'With access to a wireless broadband virtual private network, a farmer could design a farm that is completely 'connected up' and allows him to monitor his property and control his machinery from the comfort of his home.'"
