1000Mbps is sexy, it’s cool, but is it worth $43bn?
Nope !

Since when has any major infrastructure come in at the original proposed price. lets start thinking 100 billion

Shadow- That's only if the government is dumb enough to actually allow itself to be negotiated into paying such interest (yeah, I know, they are indeed- but hear me out).

I'm sure many suppliers and engineers combined would be (very happy indeed) to agree to do this work (especially for the government- who for better or worse aren't as likely to drop their side of the bargain for something they publicized so much) in exchange for dividing approximately 7 billion between themselves each year for about 6 years without feeling the need to ask for more (which, as far as taxpayers are concerned, is a dollar a day for only 6 years to refund the project).

I'm not remotely impressed by Labor's incredibly irresponsible spending and negotiating history (especially not recent), but I still agree with the proposal to directly fund the installation of the broadband infrastructure.

It would be a good thing and could possibly bring about a whole raft of new business opportunities for Australians. But I have a feeling it's too late already, most of the modern world have had the throughput for ages and are already establishing themselves on the world stage. Means we come in ten years too late and have to try and claw back market share. Think indy media, voip/video conferencing, cloud and a myriad of other techs that already exist that just can't operate in Australia because of a government controlled duopoly screwing us on data charges. 50 gig a month for a 100 bucks is a scam compared to the modern world and nothing will change in this country with fiber, I'll bet! They'd be too scared of the present media and Telco companies loosing out. Our Poly-ticks just can't help themselves, they'll sell it at the first chance to the highest bidder to pay for their gross incompetence!

King Hazza

"I'm not remotely impressed by Labor's incredibly irresponsible spending and negotiating history (especially not recent), but I still agree with the proposal to directly fund the installation of the broadband infrastructure."

Exactly.

Also note that this will bring in a huge range of jobs from engineers through to administrative staff. This is what is called a stimulus package, like the Snowy River scheme, like the electrical grid, like what we used to have by way of rail transport.

Are we getting to the state where we are happy just to 'create jobs' regardless of the merits of the project?

Lets just remember how all this started...

The government went to the last election with a broadband policy costed at about 5 billion. I think it was similar to the coalitions current policy.

It all changed when Rudd and Conroy wanted to shaft Telstra after the arrogant Sol decided to put in a 13 page tender.

The governmnet is now just creating a new Telstra. They have said their plan is to sell the NBN off.

So, this isn't anything to do with a 'vision' or the future, it's a tantrum come policy.

I suppose the governmnet has made up one great idea out of all this; instead of researching the technology and working through the options and costs, it just put a project up for tender, and then used all the hard work and intellectual property of all those companies in the bid process to just build it's own.

Hazza,

'who for better or worse aren't as likely to drop their side of the bargain for something they publicized so much'
Sydney Metro anyone? State Labor haven't been too generous in their compensation.