5 April 2016
Today, Labor had an opportunity at a major telecommunications industry event to reveal its nbn policy.
Instead, Labor squibbed it.
As the run up to Labor’s looming policy backflip continues, Labor is making preparations to abandon an all-fibre rollout and use the existing copper network, in a carbon copy of the Coalition’s multi technology mix policy.
The Coalition’s existing broadband policy allows the nbn to determine the technology it will use to deliver fast broadband to every Australian, within the set rollout timeframe of 2020.This includes using new technologies such as FTTdp and skinny fibre where cost-effective.
Under the former Labor Government, the taxpayer picked up the $6 billion bill for a mandated gold-plated network and an incredibly slow rollout that saw just 51,000 users connected.
In Opposition, Labor’s been lazy on nbn policy development, and careless with the facts. This includes even basic facts about broadband technology.
FACT The Coalition policy has always given nbn flexibility in network and technology design decisions as long as the economics stack up. A trial undertaken by the nbn reported that FTTdp would be at least 25% more expensive than the average cost per premises for fibre-to-the-node.
FACT Under the Coalition, nbn has met or exceeded financial and rollout targets for seven consecutive quarters.
Yesterday I outlined the Government’s nbn business model structured to delivering better broadband at affordable prices to every household by 2020 and our forward-looking agenda for wider industry reform.
Labor is all talk and no action 30 months in Opposition and still no telecommunications plan or even an nbn policy.
The choice is clear, only the Coalition will deliver fast, affordable nbn broadband sooner to all Australians.