Conroy crows about first mainland chunk of National Boondoggle Network

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 11:36

Opinion and Analysis

The $43 billion monstrosity that is Australia's already woefully outdated 100Mbps 'fibre optic' national broadband network (NBN) has finally had its first piece of mainland infrastructure installed, some 7 long years before the rest of the network is finally due to be completed.

The first 'building block' of the National Boondoggle Network (NBN) on the Australian mainland has been launched by Australia's Broadband and Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, with all eyes now temporarily on Mt Isa and its new fibre optic backbone link.

The well-meaning Minister, who is plunging Australians into a mind-boggling $43 billion of debt in what is surely the most expensive Australian 'election promise' of all time, took the trip to the mining town to ensure at least one part of the mainland NBN was installed and in place before the coming Federal Election.

The Silicon Senator slipped into Ministerial mode and issued a few choice words about the monumental achievement of paying an infrastructure company (Nextgen Networks) to lay a bit of cable, noting that: 'Backbone infrastructure provides the communication links that connect our towns, cities and rural areas to each other and the world.

'This fibre optic backbone link will run from Darwin, through central and south east Queensland to Toowoomba, as part of the Government's $250 million program.

'One of the biggest obstacles for fast broadband in Mt Isa has been the lack of competitive fibre optic backbone services.

'Once complete, this link will allow other broadband providers to enter the market and offer faster broadband speeds, cheaper prices and more choice for people and businesses across the region', cooed the Minister, without offering a skerrick of proof that the NBN would truly offer cheaper prices, given a similar sort of network in Canberra, known as Transact, charges a lot more than prices for broadband in Sydney.

We learn that Nextgen Networks is 'carrying out the construction work as part of the NBN Regional Backbone Blackspot Program', which will see 'nearly 6,000km of new backbone links constructed across five separate routes.'

This is, of course, despite the fact that Australia is already filled with fibre optic cable connecting cities left, right and centre, but what would we plebs know when our dear leaders and their excellent and capable departments truly know best?

After all, one only needs look at the shining example set by the Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, and his department, who did everything in their power to ensure the safe rollout of the roof insulation program but still couldn't prevent four deaths.

So, where is Mt Isa, and where does it sit in the backbone link equation?

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