15Oct 09
Senate broadband hearing - NBN at what cost?
Posted by Phil Dobbie @ 12:43 14 comments
Play or download the Twisted Wire podcast below:
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Debate over the National Broadband Network is heating up. Is it economically feasible? Do we want to avoid two major networks? What will be built? How will it be funded? There are a lot of questions and, as you'll hear from the NBN's Mike Quigley, a lot of those questions still don't have answers.
The Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network started a series of 14 public hearings well before the April announcement on a fibre-to-the-node network. We covered a couple of them back in March on Twisted Wire.
This week we head back to Canberra to summarise the public hearing held by the Committee on 1 October. Surprisingly, there's some interesting discussion.
In a star-studded line up you'll hear from:
- Richard Murray, Department of Treasury
- Bernard Wonder, Productivity Commission
- Peter Downey, Cables Downunder
- Henry Ergas, economist
- Anthony Doonan, YLess4U
- Mike Quigley, NBN Co
- Robin Eckermann, talking about Smart Grids
- Simon Lewis, Department of Finance and Deregulation
Next week, the hearings from Melbourne (7 October) and Hobart (8 October).
6%
1%
Phil, it's all clear as mud. No wonder the proponents are spellbound and the Minister's modus operandi is, revolution instead of evolution, to achieve a successful outcome for this most important project that anyone, anywhere, had or will have the courage to undertake.
People have been dispensing common sense since the saga began in earnest to no avail. It seems politicians have a way of doing things which conflicts with reason.
A decade of nonsense, to keep you busy.
Cheers