The Basslink undersea fibre-optic cable linking Tasmania to the mainland could become operational from early 2009, after a long-awaited agreement was inked today between the key stakeholders involved in the endeavour.
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy Barnett has slammed both the Tasmanian Premier and the Federal Government for not resolving the problem of poor broadband coverage in the state.
Basslink cable owner CitySpring this week said negotiations to switch on the undersea fibre-optic cable to Tasmania were close to concluding, bringing hopes of increased broadband capacity to the island state.
Fledgling telco Basslink Telecoms has defended the speed at which it is working to get the Melbourne to Hobart fibre-optic cable up and running, saying it was slated to be operational by April at the latest.
Large internet service providers Internode and Netspace yesterday committed to ramp up offerings in Tasmania as soon as the Basslink fibre cable was switched on. But doubts remain about how likely this is to actually happen.
In today's Twisted Wire, Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett explains his vision for a broadband enabled Tasmania, that will "leapfrog every other nation on earth".
Rural areas will be welcoming the government's decision to put its money where its politicising is, funnelling $250m into a regional fibre upgrade to six rural centres. Remedying over a decade of near-neglect at the hands of telecoms privatisation, the investment could be the firmest step yet for Labor's NBN dream but with inevitable political questions and a looming election, Rudd and Conroy need to deliver, and quickly, to preserve the NBN's credibility.
Like the engineers that sat down on day one with an empty blackboard and a mission to get man to the moon and back, building the NBN from the ground up is a daunting and complex opportunity that will present more than its share of challenges.
2008 was a cracker year for telco in Australia, with so many huge events happening that those at the beginning of the year have been drowned by the importance of those at the end.
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