[LINK] NBN to be 1Gbps

[Stilgherrian]

On 12/08/2010, at 2:10 PM, Philip Argy wrote:
> What practical use is 1Gb/s for the majority of people right now?

And what "practical use" are publicly-funded roads and bridges capable of supporting 60-tonne B-double trucks when "the majority of people" just have a car and would therefore be satisfied with a road supporting much lighter load weights?

What "practical use" is an electrical grid capable of delivering 100kW of power to a building when "the majority of people" would be served OK by 10kW? Well, maybe someone wants to run a factory in that building.

Infrastructure needs to be able to serve the needs of high-end users, not just the middle. The "majority of people" don't have to sign up for a 1Gb/s link if they don't want it. But providing the capability for those homes and, more importantly, businesses who DO want or need it if the real issue.

And this "right now" thinking to be honest sh+ts me to tears. When you're building infrastructure that takes years to build, you are building the capability that is needed at the END of that period and beyond, not what is needed at the start.

Now there are certainly very important questions about Labor's approach. The most important one for me is about shunting out the implementation to a separate NBN Co where all sorts of mischief can be hidden via the rubric of "commercial in confidence".

But quite frankly the "I don't want this myself so why should anyone else want it" argument is thoroughly disingenuous.

Stil



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