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At least the internet bills will be better value

Paul Colgan

by Paul Colgan

06 May 04:48pm

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Filed under: Broadband, Internet, Media, Nbn, Stephen Conroy, Tech

25 comments

The federal government has been told the National Broadband Network can be rolled out for at least $5 billion less than the original $43 billion earmarked. News.com.au has the story here, but a quick back-of-a-napkin calculation on what it means:

NBN implementation

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25 comments

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    • Eric says:

      05:07pm | 06/05/10

      Though if the Internet filter comes in at the same time, you can say goodbye to high speed and freedom of speech.

      What use is a fancy infrastructure if it’s crippled by a political barrier?

      Reply

    • TB says:

      07:56pm | 06/05/10

      While I am rabidly opposed to the filter, I have mellowed out somewhat after the revelation that the government is not going to punish circumvention of the filter by individual users (which begs the question - why do they want it to be mandatory in the first place?). The remnants of the optimist within me says that if the filter is implemented, the government will end up quietly discarding it a few years later when it’s found out to be a failure. Kind of like the insulation scheme.

      Although I’d much rather see it not implemented at all. For the cost of Conroy’s questionable cyber-security policy you could nearly build an undersea fibre-optic cable to Asia - something we’ll be needing a lot more of if the NBN is going to work. With all the talk of laying fibre in Australia a lot of people seemed to have forgotten that it’s our overseas connections that will need a massive boost as well if we want affordable high speed connections.

    • BTS says:

      05:17pm | 06/05/10

      Someone needs to confiscate Colgo’s serviette supply.

      Money saved here can go on more ciggys can it not?

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      05:43pm | 06/05/10

      If they quote $38 billion you betcha it`ll still cost $43 billion and the rest.

      Reply

    • Against the Man says:

      06:21pm | 06/05/10

      5 billion for Labor to waste haha! Poor Mr Rudd he must be really sad reading all that is being said about him, guess he knows he is no doubt in the worst PM ever list and there isn’t much he can do about it. Well he could throw a tantrum….....

      Reply

    • TrueOz says:

      06:43pm | 06/05/10

      More lies from Stephen “shit lips” CONroy. No doubt he’ll be prepared to personally guarantee the build cost - and will PERSONALLY fund the inevitable cost blow-out. Lies, lies and more lies!

      Reply

    • Scot says:

      12:02pm | 07/05/10

      TrueOz. He will not be in power to see it happen, so his guarantees are worthless, as it will be dead like all the other failures of Rudd Labor when rational people start cleaning up their mess and all his mates go from NBN. Like the CARBON NEUTRAL Climate Change Department in Canberra?

    • iansand says:

      07:21pm | 06/05/10

      Are pink batts or school buildings part of this?  I need to understand what fudge factor I should apply.

      Reply

    • Steve says:

      07:44pm | 06/05/10

      I currently get underground optic fibre to the home with huge capacity for less than $40 per month, it is fantastic. Don’t listen to the liberal party propaganda campaign that the broadband proposal will be a failure.

      Reply

    • Mark says:

      01:25pm | 07/05/10

      What do you call huge capacity?

      What speed so you get?

      Link your plan please.

    • Steve says:

      07:47pm | 06/05/10

      Back-of-a-napkin looks so much better that a powerpoint presentation (NOT).

      Reply

    • Mavis says:

      09:12pm | 06/05/10

      Come on, its Labor talking. We know they never deliver. The price they quoted and the specs they quoted are just Labor B/S. NSW has being hearing this sort of blarney for years now. Does anyone seriously believe it?

      And comrade Conroy is even talking about selling it all to the Mums and Dads seven years down the line after stiffing the same Mums and Dads who bought Telstra.

      Gawd, we are a stupid country believing these spivs.

      Reply

    • lv says:

      12:08pm | 07/05/10

      Fab!
      $1700 for every person in Australia now to pay for it, and then you can buy it again later!!!

    • coxie says:

      07:40am | 07/05/10

      I think the symbol chosen for when ‘Conroy connects [your] broadband’ is plain wrong: It should be more like the universal symbol for infinity, which may be closely approximated by two zeros in succession ‘00’.

      Reply

    • OldGirl says:

      08:36am | 07/05/10

      I pay for 40 gig of adsl2 a month for which I pay $40, I have no idea really about all this stuff and I wanted to make sure I had enough to get my updates for anti virus ect, but truthfully I am wasting alot I don’t download anything. I come here and one or 2 other places of intrest and thats it. What happens to my left over adsl2? Shame it can’t be given to charity and I am sure many older Australians get confused by this internet stuff. Our Aussie kids are pretty sharp , I bet have worked it all out.

      Reply

    • Zeta says:

      10:00am | 07/05/10

      @ oldgirl - actually, your excess bandwidth can be given to charities operating in Iran to provide democracy advocates with internet access to the outside world via what’s called a ‘virtual private network’ tunnel. It’s kind of complicated to set up, http://iran.whyweprotest.net/help-iran-online/ has a host of resources to get people started.

    • Scott Glennon says:

      10:28am | 07/05/10

      @Zeta, your as mad as a cut snake..

    • Eric says:

      11:27am | 07/05/10

      Hate to say it Scott, but Zeta is actually right for once.

    • Mark says:

      09:10am | 07/05/10

      Paul, that is an awesome diagram. Makes more sense than any policies provided by the communications minister.

      Reply

    • Scot says:

      11:57am | 07/05/10

      heheheh you think this si cheap woooow. When I see what I pay in HK, Singapore and China for broadband cable and wireless access and the speeds and quality of service this is another Labor rip off. I read yesterday that it will take 100Million people to make this thing break even. The other big issue is by the time they get this thing up and running it will be an old fibre technology solution. Nothing that Rudd Labor has done to date makes sense. Even Tanner said when they did the BER and the Batts they did not dot the I’s and cross the T’s. If this was a good investment why is Labor using the future fund and super funds being forced to cough up. It should be put out to Tender to the best global bidder and all the NBN people fired. If it is not viable then kill it.

      Reply

    • Roger says:

      12:42pm | 07/05/10

      Hi Colgo.  You forgot to add to your graph.

      - Job losses at Telstra
      - Share price and Superannuation losses due to Govt. policy driving down Telstra share price further.
      - The NBN requires 0 competition to be succesful.  Build the NBN, but let Telstra compete.  You’d have no issues with that right ... because it’s in the best interest of the consumer.  So why then, as part of the NBN legislation, does it require Telstra to separate, to sell of it’s HFC network and potentially lock it out of 4G spectrum.

      The Govt. wouldn’t be afraid of competition right ...

      Reply

    • facepalm says:

      01:09pm | 07/05/10

      Ahhh, another whinging Telstra shareholder. A species that seems to be somewhat overpopulated these days….

    • McCain's Wedges says:

      01:00pm | 07/05/10

      But will there be download limits?

      Reply

    • TheRealDave says:

      01:06pm | 07/05/10

      I love the whining of Telstra shills early in the morning.

      How about doing a bit of actual ‘journalism’ and spending the 15 minutes it would take showing what Telstra are charging right now and compare it to what the NBN is forecasting. Then go over to the Telstra Business site and see what they are currently extorting out of Australian businesses for decent upstream speeds - $1000 to $4500 a MONTH!! And thats for 2-4mb up/down (and then you have to pay for the data you use on top of that)...and you want to piss and moan about $80 a month for 100mb??? I pay more than that already for ADSL2 which maxes out at 24mb!

      I’d love to see a single journo actually do an article that compares what we have now, both residential and business, and what the NBN will give us…a single journo, its not that much of an ask is it?

      Just don’t ask Telstra for permission to do it first OK ?

      Reply

    • partnervermittlung says:

      01:41pm | 15/08/11

      Significant Representation,fine boy application offer plan train enemy mass discover popular beautiful attractive care leader video star chairman sound happen agency long replace doubt bottom more seat widely region argue without after ring season foot withdraw control extend election computer authority close fresh prospect die else revenue another jump arm where copy meal bank base corner with accident legislation implication improvement voice accept pound skill end same use would before employee die physical other urban successful rest mental simple culture transfer god who water female

      Reply
 
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