[LINK] NBN service accessibility [Was: web: The NBN satellite Malcolm Turnbull never wanted prepares for liftoff]

[David Boxall]

Back in the day, one selling point for the NBN was that every Australian 
would have access to services "comparable" to those in metropolitan 
areas. Pretending to cobble together a network from a patchwork of left 
over scraps doesn't look like providing effective services in cities, 
let alone further afield. Cynic that I am, I doubt that it's intended to.

Checking out https://www.skymesh.net.au/, limiting scope to around the 
$50 per month mark and ignoring all other differences, for fibre or 
fixed wireless, retail price per gigabyte is around 30 cents. For 
satellite, it's around $2.50.

Premises with mobile broadband coverage don't qualify for NBN satellite. 
I gather that the cost is around $10 per gigabyte.

Given the pricing differentials, are those unequal services even equally 
accessible? Many of my neighbours are dependent on benefits, so there 
isn't a lot of spare cash. The push to get everyone online for 
government services is beginning to cause real hardship.

-- 
David Boxall                    |  My figures are just as good
                                |  as any other figures.
http://david.boxall.id.au       |  I make them up myself, and they
                                |  always give me innocent pleasure.
                                |                     --HL Mencken