[LINK] NBN white-elephant-to-be: better spend the $$$ on other things

[Richard Chirgwin]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 02:43 PM 19/08/2010, Webb, KerryA you wrote:
>   
>>> I would probably buy a more budget 20 Mbps plan if / when the NBN
>>> arrives, reasoning that I don't need a gigabit per second. But people
>>> are mobile;
>>>       
>> Some people are mobile.  Most of us are not.
>>     
>
> There is also no one saying the wireless data network will disappear, 
> are they? I mean, can't they both exist, just like wired and wireless 
> do now? I don't understand this 'either/or' argument. I must say, the 
> simple explanation by the NBN guy yesterday and in today's Age spells 
> it all out rather clearly if the opposition would care to open their 
> minds and read it.
>   
Jan,

Unfortunately, politicisation leads to polarisation. And - one of those 
great stories that don't actually interest journalists - there's been a 
small-but-steady stream of misinformation reaching media and politicians 
about this debate for some years now. Someone is spinning; a few years 
ago it was the "fibre and copper interfere with each other" urban myth. 
Today, it's the twofold "wireless is catching up fast and will overtake 
fibre", alongside "how do you know there isn't some technology just 
around the corner that will make fibre obsolete?"

(Come to think of it - I heard this latter line from one journalist and 
one politician on the radio in the last couple of days, but wasn't 
paying attention so I didn't note down whom - if there's a sudden burst 
of magic, it would make wireless obsolete as well, wouldn't it?)

In any case, experience tells me that if unsourced urban myths start to 
take hold in the media, the usual reason is that someone's playing a 
game of whispers.

RC
>
>
> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
> jwhit at janwhitaker.com
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> ~Madeline L'Engle, writer
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