Opposition Communications spokesperson Bruce Billson has said the Coalition will attempt to block the Federal government's proposed use of the AU$2 billion Communications Fund to build its national FTTN network in the Senate.
Bruce Billson, the Liberal communications spokesperson, has taken aim at Labor's plans to draw on money from the previous government's communications fund to build its fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network.
The Liberals have accused the Labor government of "breaking another election promise" after Senator Kim Carr was unable to confirm that high-speed broadband access will be made available to schools in time to accompany government's planned one-PC-per-desk rollout for high school students.
A report yesterday claimed that the cost of implementing a national broadband network could lead to an increase of 50 percent or more on home phone and Internet bills, but one analyst believes the only way to keep prices down is to leave Telstra out.
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has reinforced the importance of a high-speed national broadband network, describing it as the missing cog in the nation's future economic wheel.
As the knee-jerk defensive responses to Rudd's "adios" subside and Australia moves on, has Rudd made Australia that little less appealing to the overseas investors he desperately needs to fund his NBN?
Labor's fibre-to-the-premises NBN was meant to be an act of freedom, a breaking-free from 100 years of copper infrastructure legacy and the start of something new. So why in the world are we still discussing Telstra's copper network?
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.
Shareholders got a rude awakening this week as Stephen Conroy made good on industry calls to break up Telstra. Some argue the government has been duplicitous and should be held to account, but those who sit tight may find the new Telstra offers a far better value proposition with better long-term opportunities.
Time will tell how the rest of the NBN Co board shapes up, but it's hard to dismiss the credentials of its two most high-profile appointments so far.
Former Optus executive Paul Fletcher's book "Wired Brown Land? Telstra's Battle for Broadband" details the history of broadband communication in our nation and highlights why it is impossible that Telstra will give up in its fight for dominance, despite the wounds it has recently taken.
NBN Company executive chairman Mike Quigley and six other board members to be named this week have a series of straightforward "buy or build" decisions to make about Australia's fibre future.
Opinion: Conroy should end this futile tender process. Call Telstra's McGauchie and his executives in and read them the riot act. Appoint someone with appropriate credentials and resources not some panel to then negotiate a commercial deal on behalf of taxpayers.
On the same day that the bids for the national broadband network bids were handed into the government, Australia, Baz Luhrman's vain masterpiece was released to the plebs.
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Has New Zealand's smiling assassin delivered?
The long-awaited separation of Telstra
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