Australia to invest $31 billion in broadband

[dyer]

You guys probably all ready heard the news, Figured I'd post in case.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20090407/ ... roadband_8

[Xact]

Yeah, pretty funny how the govt. rejected all the tenders!

Funny thing is, it's a $43 billion dollar plan over 8 years, yet the government is only contributing $4.7 billion, cheap cunts lol.

[Cartollomew]

Yeah, pretty funny how the govt. rejected all the tenders!

Nobody submitted a satisfactory plan - think about it, it's a major undertaking in infrastructure deployment. The only single corporation in Australia with a history of doing anything like that on a national scale is Telstra. The plan they submitted was the equivalent of a high school assignment cover page and summary.

You know - this wouldn't be an issue if we still had a government owned infrastructure body. So instead, we're getting another government owned infrastructure building company.

Seriously did anything good come of privatising our one and only telco?

Funny thing is, it's a $43 billion dollar plan over 8 years, yet the government is only contributing $4.7 billion, cheap cunts lol.

The first investment will come from the government, to the tune of 4.7 billion. The the main financial stakeholder remains the government - the taxpayer will ultimately foot 51% of the bill.

Honestly, it's a sensible decision, and Telstra is going to be kicked in the nuts again for not upgrading their infrastructure (as with ADSL 2, which was spearheaded by iiNet and the rest of the private sector).

Their response?

"In a statement, Telstra said the new plan would have little short to-medium-term impact on its business as it would take years to build."

...and by which stage, the people in charge now would have moved on with a nice fat payout anyway, so who wants lunch?

[Tassia]

Seriously did anything good come of privatising our one and only telco?

The mistake was in not splitting up the wholesale and retail arms of the business.

The thing that has me worried thoough is that the government will sell it's stake in this after 5 years of operation.

[Cartollomew]

The thing that has me worried thoough is that the government will sell it's stake in this after 5 years of operation.

Depends who's in government, but yeh, I'm worried about that too.

[Lellybaby]

The thing that has me worried thoough is that the government will sell it's stake in this after 5 years of operation.

Depends who's in government, but yeh, I'm worried about that too.

The Labour government will win the next election easy. The coalition is still dicking around trying be a decent opposition while Labour is spending money like its a Kid in a Candy store.

History shows that people are happy to stay with the Status Quo especially in a crisis. I think we all agree that this world recession qualifies as a crisis.

Same thing happened here in Queensland. For the month leading up to the election all the opinion pools etc said Anna Bligh was going to lose big. It turns out in the End people weren't fed up enough to upset the status quo during the current economic turmoil.

[Cartollomew]

The Labour government will win the next election easy. The coalition is still dicking around trying be a decent opposition while Labour is spending money like its a Kid in a Candy store.

There are still a few years for the coalition to get their act together and actually pick a proper leader (my housemate insists that Turnbull is the real thing, but I can't see it myself - he has all the hallmarks of a classic "opposition leader" - Kimmie's counterpart), but yeh, it looks like Labor will probably keep government for at least another term.

Bear in mind though, that the plan is for 8 years - which we can guesstimate will actually blow out to 10-14 years. Who knows who will be in power then?

It's as unlikely that a Labor government would privatise infrastructure as it is that a Liberal government would actually make any.

But once Labour drops out again, all bets are off.

For the record this whole "privatise at all costs!" attitude adopted by the libs is my main concern about nuclear power. In all likelihood we'll have to move to nuclear power in order to cut down our carbon and provide sufficient energy, but if some dumbshit government ever privatises a reactor I'll be taking my four eyeballs and 13 toes and moving someplace more rustic.

[Xact]

Wow, what political views do you hold again Cart?

[Tassia]

There are still a few years for the coalition to get their act together and actually pick a proper leader (my housemate insists that Turnbull is the real thing, but I can't see it myself - he has all the hallmarks of a classic "opposition leader" - Kimmie's counterpart), but yeh, it looks like Labor will probably keep government for at least another term.

Turnbull is finished. If he can't make the people look towards the Liberals during a crisis that seemingly plays towards their strengths and Labor's weaknesses, then he has no future.

[Cartollomew]

Wow, what political views do you hold again Cart?

Sarcasm aside:
Anti-partisan, slightly socialist, anti-authoritarian.

Mostly anti-partisan.

[Mitra]

Turnbull is finished. If he can't make the people look towards the Liberals during a crisis that seemingly plays towards their strengths and Labor's weaknesses, then he has no future.

mmm however this crisis seems to have been caused in part by a lack of regulation, letting the business get away with too much as it were.

and it's hard for a party generally known for such deregulatory behaviors to present well.

[Cartollomew]

While the ACS welcomed the Federal Government's announcement regarding the construction and operation of the National Broadband Network (NBN) we once again reiterate that the focus must now shift to the development of a national digital economy strategy as matter of urgency.

ACS National Chairman Kumar Parakala said that while the NBN is a crucial step towards improving Australia's ICT infrastructure and digital capability, it is not an end in itself.

"The NBN is a critical infrastructure investment which is long overdue. We welcome the Government's decision to implement a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network as it will enable delivery of more sustainable, value-added services. However, there remains a missing link- a national strategy for the development of our digital economy," he said.

"With the pipe in the ground, there will be new opportunities to develop value added services which propel our future economic growth, such as e-health, e-education and e-commerce. The flow-on effects from access to high quality infrastructure are estimated to increase GDP by 1.4 per cent after five to six years, which is worth $15 billion in terms of GDP.

"It is essential that the telecommunications industry, the ICT sector and the Government now work together to not only ensure immediate construction of the NBN, but also to think 'beyond the pipe' as these plans are key to our nation's competitive standing and our future economic prosperity," Mr Parakala said.

I think they're overstating the need for government involvement in all this "value-added" crap.
The existing vendors want to provide all these services - it's well and truly in their interests to do so - but they can't, because all their shit has to be leased from a competitor.

The new body will be a wholesaler - not competition. The part that the ACS is worried about is the one part that will sort itself out via a free economy.

Oops, I mean:
I e-think they're e-overstating the e-need for e-government e-involvement in this e-crap.