[LINK] Libs won't cancel NBN - Turnbull

[Nick Ross]

What am I missing here? This doesn't change a thing, does it?

Not having ubiquitous low latency and symmetry still does away with the
medical, power distribution, education, business and social benefits and
leaves us with a network with no resale value or any return on the $20bn
odd it would cost either?

N


On Jun 29, 2012 7:45 PM, "Jan Whitaker" <jwhit at janwhitaker.com> wrote:

> [Since this is a 180deg. turnaround, not sure who to believe. ]
>
>
> We will not cancel the NBN: Turnbull
>
> Published: June 29, 2012 - 4:48PM
>
> Nearly two years after Tony Abbott vowed to tear
> down the beginnings of the national broadband
> network and to "demolish" it, the Coalition now
> says it will not roll back or cancel it, if it
> comes to power at the next election.
>
> Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband
> Malcolm Turnbull told IT Pro firmly this week:
> "No, the Coalition will not cancel or roll back
> the NBN. The NBN will continue to roll out but we
> will do so in a cost-effective manner in particular in built-up areas."
>
> As the idea of a faster, ubiquitous always-on
> affordable internet matures in the minds of
> Australians, and
> <
> http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/56-per-cent-of-australians-support-nbn-poll-20120221-1tk6r.html?rand=1340942217817
> >more
> people show support for the infrastructure
> project, it is becoming increasingly difficult
> for the Opposition to continue its original
> stance. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has
> <
> http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/smallbiz-tech/abbott-again-slams-ripoff-nbn-project-20120103-1pj7p.html
> >repeately
> slammed the $36 billion project as a "rip off"
> and a
> <
> http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/broadband-project-is-white-elephant-abbott-20120103-1pjm7.html?rand=1340948713338
> >"white
> elephant".
>
> At the same time, a rollback is rendered more
> impractical with every metre of fibre optic cable
> NBN Co lays, and with the increasing number of
> NBN-packages released by internet service
> providers (ISPs) in those markets where new services are made available.
>
> Mr Turnbull said the Coalition now believes "all
> Australians should have access to fast and
> affordable broadband but that the NBN [Co] has
> gone about that objective in the single most
> expensive and time-consuming way possible."
>
> Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde says the
> Coalition now accepts the NBN is necessary but
> differs in its funding model. Mr Turnbull
> believes the private sector, not the Government, should finance the
> project.
>
> "Malcolm Turnbull and [Liberal MP] Paul Fletcher
> very well understand broadband. Both are among
> the best informed in Australia. Unfortunately
> politics comes in the way and it's been a major stumbling block,' Budde
> said.
>
> "Malcolm Turnbull is keeping his powder dry – he
> is not going to do anything until much closer to
> the election. My guess is then they'll come up
> with a policy that will show the importance of broadband to the economy."
>
> Mr Budde said a cost-benefit analysis of the
> network– which the Opposition always said was
> missing from Labor's blueprint – should be now be included.
>
> Mr Turnbull had told the
> <
> http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/speeches/three-years-of-nbn-2-0-what-have-we-learnt/
> >communications
> industry in April the Coalition's policy was to
> achieve "a comparable outcome – a ubiquitous very
> fast broadband network, but sooner in terms of
> rollout, cheaper and more affordably to
> consumers. But had not yet committed to keeping
> whatever infrastructure and contracted
> installations it could potentially inherit."
>
> He told Radio 2UE earlier this month a
> Liberal-National government would "complete" the
> job, rather than rip up any cables.
>
> And now he said he is not prepared to cancel the
> estimated $1.8 billion worth of contracts
> underpinning the rollout, already signed by NBN Co.
>
> "The Coalition's aim is not to cancel contracts
> but rather, renegotiate existing contracts where
> possible to accommodate different architectures
> and lower the capital cost of the network and
> hence, the end cost to consumers," Mr Turnbull said.
>
> He told IT Pro "a range of architectures" would
> include fibre-to-the-premises for homes and
> businesses in greenfield areas; fibre-to-the-node
> where possible and HFC. HFC, or hybrid fibre
> coaxial, is used for networks that employ both
> fibre optic and copper cables, usually to deliver
> cable television. Fibre optics are used for the
> backbone up to nodes, then copper cables from the nodes to the premises.
>
> Telstra's existing copper network is to be
> decommissioned as part of the NBN rollout,
> although
> <
> http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government-it/telstra-still-deciding-fate-of-copper-post-nbn-rollout-20120508-1ya5s.html?rand=1340947063923
> >the
> company has not yet revealed what it will do with the actual cables.
>
> Mr Budde said it was "useless" for Mr Turnbull to
> talk about fibre-to-the-node and copper without a
> policy that stated why the Opposition thinks
> Australia needs the network, including its economic benefit.
>
> "The objective has to come first, then leave it
> to the experts to say how they are going to do it."
>
> Mr Budde said the idea of utilising existing
> technologies like HFC was valid, but in reality
> the cable television network was rolled out a
> decade ago and has not been upgraded, meaning its future relevance is
> limited.
>
> "Optus and Telstra did not see that potential
> going forward; the utilities don't believe copper
> HFC has a life beyond about eight years and
> investors are not prepared to invest in that technology.
>
> "Why would you do it? And what are you going to
> do at the end of that time. In the US the cable
> network has been upgraded since the day it was
> built. More than 50 per cent of the population is
> connected to it. It's a different scenario."
>
> Mr Turnbull said the Coalition would take "an
> agnostic approach to which technology is used"
> and would ensure that "poorly served areas are
> prioritised, upgrades can be delivered on
> schedule and won't result in a doubling of
> consumer bills over the next decade".
>
> Mr Budde said the Coalition must stop scare-mongering in relation to costs.
>
> "We have now 40 ISPs with NBN products on the
> market for as low as $25 a month. How are
> consumers worst off? The average is more like $29
> for a basic NBN [connected] product. That is very
> comparable with ADSL packages that are around now."
>
> Mr Budde said while the Opposition now appeared
> accepting of the NBN, it must guarantee it will
> not further delay its implementation. The Joint
> Standing Committee's
> <
> http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_of_Representatives_Committees?url=jcnbn/./report3.htm
> >third
> report on the NBN released this week said the
> rollout had already been delayed and
> <
> http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nbn-must-release-more-details-on-rollout-20120625-20ydl.html?rand=1340931557180
> >criticised
> NBN Co for not providing a benchmark by which it
> could be accurately measured at each review stage.
>
> "Over the next 10 years, NBN will deliver $50
> billion to the economy. We can look at a $10
> billion economic loss if we have a delay of two to three years," Budde
> said.
> <http://twitter.com/#%21/itpro_au>
>    <http://twitter.com/#%21/itpro_au>Follow IT Pro on Twitter
>
> This story was found at:
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/government-it/we-will-not-cancel-the-nbn-turnbull-20120629-217f3.html
>
>
>
>
> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
> jwhit at janwhitaker.com
> blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
> business: http://www.janwhitaker.com
>
> Our truest response to the irrationality of the
> world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find
> truth.
> ~Madeline L'Engle, writer
>
> _ __________________ _
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
>