[LINK] Turnbull's NBN

[Jan Whitaker]

At 08:50 AM 10/04/2013, Jan Whitaker wrote:
>Unfortunately, the sorts of objective analysis from you guys won't
>cut through, either, and the public will just have glazed eyes if
>these problems are raised.
>
>If anyone is interested, Jon Faine on ABC local Melbourne radio is
>about to deal with it on his program - 774.

It was comical. His skin isn't as thick as he would like to portray. 
The press articles are starting to sting. "Who is this Mark Gregory 
at RMIT?" Gee, Malcolm, he's an engineer. But no, Malcolm sites 
support from share commentators and some unknown journos.

The full 18 page policy document is now available (if you haven't 
already looked for it). The first half is telling why the Government 
NBN is so 'wrong'.
They have disabled copying from the content, so you have to retype 
the blasted text. ::grump::

Here are some tidbits:
"NBN Co will provide for fibre on demand at individual premises [the 
Turnbull line about 'you can buy more if you need it'] as soon as 
possible where fibre does not extend to the premise and this is 
***technically feasible and commercially viable***." [emphasis added]
Commercially viable on whose terms? Who will set the benchmarks?

"NBN Co is responsible for provision of fibre on demand and will 
***retain ownership of the fibre***. [emphasis added] So the 
government body will own the next leg anyway, but the individual has 
to pay for it? How does that make sense? So it gets to the same point 
of the current NBN arrangements.

Also, what about voice services? Will the current arrangements of 
telephone service sellers keep their arrangements on the copper? Or 
will those charges go up since they will supposedly connect to the FTTN?

There is something in there about co-funding FTTP - what is that 
about? If State or Local governments pay for this 50%, that is STILL 
taxpayer money. Government is ALL supported by tax money or some 
sort, be it duties or whatever. They don't produce a thing. The end 
provider of funding is the consumer/citizen in some fashion, if you 
follow the track to the end.

There is an internal contradiction in the policy on page 12: The 
Coalition says it will honour existing contracts, including the one 
with Telstra. So the government will own the copper now? And what 
about those build contracts that are FTTP already for how many years? 
They don't know the length of those contracts that NBN have issued. 
PLUS, if those contracts lock in more than the $29.5bil *limit*, how 
can NBN Co comply with the new policy on page 8?

Page 14 onward is more propaganda. So the whole detail in the 'full 
policy' is from page 6 to 13, less than half.

Poor, Malcolm, considering the several years you've had to prepare it.

Fail.

Jan



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

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