[LINK] Telstra ultimatum on fibre

[Glen Turner]

On Fri, 2007-06-08 at 11:45 +1000, George Bray wrote:
> The broadband saga escalates, and now has a deadline.

Huh?  That's a cheap car sales tactic.  Are Telstra really going to
let their competitor build the replacement customer access network
just because some magical date is reached?  I think not.

(BTW, I'm not claiming that a customer access network owned by SingTel
or by Macquarie Bank will be any better.)

What is plain is that both political parties now realise that Telstra
are an impediment to Australia's progress. That can't do Telstra
any good once the election has passed, whomever wins.

It's now clear that Keating's government really stuffed up in not
separating Telstra's customer access network, long haul, and retail
operations.  The choice is to do this now, with stiff opposition from
Telstra itself, or to build a second CAN. Both are expensive ways
to repair the error.

I contribute the stuff-up to the placing of telecommunications and
media regulation under the same minister.  That Minister will always
have an eye to the media, since that is their path to re-election.
This leaves little time for the more significant issues in the
much larger telecommunications industry.

The navel gazing of the media itself also has some responsibility here.
I've lost count of the number of times that Lateline has interviewed
various ministers and intensely grilled them about media regulation,
but asked perfunctory questions and accepted non-answers about
telecommunications.

-- 
 Glen Turner