[LINK] Labor commits to $4.5b high-speed Internet network

[Kim Holburn]

I've have thought for a while that local ownership is the best way to  
go on phone/data connections.

I have been wondering what the best solution for the problem of  
constantly digging up the streets is.  I wonder why the councils  
don't put in ducts, big enough say for people to get in and to hold  
all the council services.  Some of the problems that I see are that  
having water and sewerage in the same duct may not be acceptable!   
Having water and electricity in the same duct may possibly present  
problems too!

The council could own the ducts and control in that way what went in.

Would this work do you think?

Kim

On 2007/Mar/23, at 3:36 AM, Stewart Fist wrote:

> The key question is whether the government can maintain its control  
> over
> what will become the monopoly fibre infrastructure without being  
> tempted to
> exploit their control by overcharging, or by giving special deals  
> to various
> favoured companies in return for other services.  Or later  
> (perhaps) by
> flogging it off (as both sides did/would-have-done with Telstra)  
> for some
> quick pork-barrelling cash at some later date.
>
> Given the stupid position we are now in with a privatised monopoly
> infrastructure owner in the obstreperous Telstra, that this is  
> probably the
> best of the bad options.  At least it gets something moving.  And  
> so far, it
> doesn't look as if Telestra can monopolise it.
>
> I need to wait to see the details of the proposed private-public- 
> partnership
> before I will begin to cheer, however.
>
> Labor is (pointedly) not promising it won't privatise the fibre  
> network at a
> later date -- nor are they saying this will be a monopoly national  
> network,
> which will remain government controlled and regulated.
>
> So something needs also to be done about the ownership of street  
> ducting,
> because this is the key to separation of service and the provision of
> competitive infrastructure.
>
> I'd like to see street ducting and power-poles put under local  
> government
> control, like suburban roads - with the main inter-exchange trunk- 
> pipes
> placed under state government control.
>
> That's the only way to get real competitive access, if they are  
> going to
> allow multiple infrastructure suppliers.  And this is possibly the  
> way it
> might go.  Everything is far too vague to come to any conclusions,  
> other
> than to say that Labor has a proposal which is better than the non- 
> proposals
> of the Liberals.
>
> However. The unnecessary duplication of primary infrastructure now  
> appears
> to be accepted by both sides of politics.
>
>
> -- 
> Stewart Fist, writer, journalist, film-maker
> 70 Middle Harbour Road, LINDFIELD, 2070, NSW, Australia
> Ph +61 (2) 9416 7458
>
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> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
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--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294  M: +39 3494957443
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request

Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny.
                           -- Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Analog, Apr 1961