Nairbe,

It is funny how you call me "old" in a derogatory context. It seems the attitude of Labor in general to despise old age, but I don't see anything wrong with this natural phenomenon. I am prowd of who I am, of my body and of how I live.

My great as new 1992 car uses unleaded fuel. It takes me everywhere I need, at 12.5 Km/Litre in the city/suburbs. I have no mobile phone of any sort, never had, never will. I have no television of any sort - what a great relief and yes, I listen to the radio occassionally. Morse code is great, because for a change, one needs to think before they send a message. I actually used it... when I was in the Scouts. It was great fun.

It is not that I'm afraid of change - I simply detest that way of life. Perhaps unlike most of you Laborite lot, I am happy with what I have, with how I live, with what I achieved - I am just not addicted to your particular drug.

I do have a telephone for occassionaly keeping in touch with friends and relatives. For convenience, I actually have three of them in different rooms, connected to those copper wires which you so much hate. Should my modest request to keep my telephone operating be too much, compared with all those other shiny things that you covet?

Mikk and examinator.

Instead of just throwing stones, and accusing anyone who does not support this massive cash splurge a Luddite, perhaps you could explain exactly what 100Mb/s will give a home internet user that a 20Mb/s connection won't.

Considering that with modern compression techniques, a HD video signal requires about only 2Mb/s, what on earth would require more than 20Mb/s.

In a while, I am sure that something will arise, but in the interim, we have a $20bn copper infrastructure that is aging, but perfectly capable of meeting our needs of 90% of the population for the next decade.

Why on god's earth would you build something so expensive now when it is only needed much later, and can be built later for a fraction of the price?

Labor is trying to appear fiscally responsible, this makes a complete mockery of their claims.

Yuyutsu, so sorry to have touched a sore spot. Actually the reference to old is not about age just thinking. You could be 25, 45, 65 doesn't matter it's the fear of change. I get your want to maintain the basic telephone service you have, but have you really thought that through. A mobile (unless you are in a rural area of question) is a cheaper and more reliable option as a phone service. Security wise both personal and national it is better. less faults than copper meaning lower maintenance costs. my mobile which i use predominately costs me little more than my line renal each month making my home phone an expensive luxury item.

Yuyutsu;
Hey don't anyone knock the morse code. It is quicker than SMSing.
I usually use it a two or three of times a week.
When the internet and telephones fall over you will all be running to
the likes of Belly and me to send your Xmas Greetings, Happy Birthdays
etc etc.

Dah de Dah

Sigh SM,

you are (deliberately) missing the point to support you party choice.
Strategic placement is more about FUTURE advances that simply meeting current needs.

The snowy was over kill and then some in 1955 but look at it now we in Aust could do with more non fossil fueled energy.
I can just imagine if the snowy didn't exist and it was proposed to day I can just hear your protestations.

As I also said I'm prepared to bet that by the time it is rolled out there will be wanted technologies not available to day, in play see see the growth of the computer technology/ internet ad nausium.

Luddite is apt.
NBN as it stands may have flaws but (no plan that far out can expect to get it all right) but it is a medium/strong STRATEGIC bet.

Especially, if one considers having to revisit the Libs plan a few year on probably before NBN is bedded in . The cost for ad hoc advances will be far more expensive than to do them now

Nairbe,

I conscientiously object to using a mobile phone because I don't believe it right to send electromagnetic waves through other people (and animals and birds). I am not willing to support those towers or brain-tumors for others or myself.

In addition:
* with a mobile phone, others expect you to be available at all times.
* with mobile phones, big-brother always knows where you are. Others probably too (especially those who would be very glad to know when you are not at home!)
* mobile phones are impolite. Glazed-eyed people keep talking into thin-air in public places. You can't even be sure whether it is you whom they are talking to or someone-else. This is prior to even considering the chance of peace and quiet.
* the buttons on mobiles are way too small - I shouldn't need glasses in order to dial.
* fixed phones are 100 times more reliable, less faulty than mobiles. I only experienced one fault, for a few hours, in the last 10 years, except of course those few minutes that took them to connect the ADSL.
* There is of course a fixed fee, but calls from fixed phones are actually much cheaper.

You may think that I am strange, but people like me are simply under-represented here, on the internet. Also, people who are happy with what they have do not tend to go out and about screaming for "more", so they are also under-represented: this does not mean that they do not exist!

I was hoping that with all your technical knowledge, you will be able to tell me (and others) what's going to happen to my ordinary telephone service under Labor's scheme.