Communications Minister Mitch Fifield claims the NBN policy announced by the Australian Labor Party on Tuesday is an admission that "the NBN technology debate of the last six years was just about politics".

The Australian Labor Party has said it would review the economics of the NBN, including the implications of the multi-technology mix, on the cash-flow of the NBN Co, the company which is rolling out the network, if it were voted back into office in the forthcoming Federal Election.

A renewed focus on research and development was the only bright spot in the Budget reply speech made by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten on Thursday, the head of Australia's national start-up advocacy group says.