Could the private sector have offered it cheaper and faster?

Worldwatcher, not faster, but fast enough.
Let me put it this way;
I have a 10 megabit speed to the exchange.
That is the speed, as far as I am concerned, of the Telstra network.
However the Telstra network is not the limiting factor.
Most downloads I get are close to 1 Megbit, and some are nearer 100khzbit.
The limiting factor is the server at the other end and the number of
people connected to it.
If the remote server cannot shove it out faster then that is the speed you get it.

These are factors outside the control of the NBN, so the same speeds
will result whether you pay NBN for 100Mbit or not.

The NBN is Labor's school hall program all over again.

Labor is creating a new monopoly in a field where every developed economy in the world is breaking them up, at a cost that is far higher than in the private sector, to deliver services that will be largely obsolete at high prices to people that mostly don't need them.

Not being one eyed, anti any thing Labor does, I like the idea.
Trash talk by Abbott and his team will not change truth.
This big country needed it.
Slow at present but off immense value on completion, it will serve us well.
Sadly comment from the uniformed will flood this thread.
A determination to claim it is only off use for game players,Snowy
Mountain scheme and lots more would not have taken place with out government intervention.
I spoke in one of many previous threads about the nature of our country, very big and very hard to have communications for everyone.
NBN changes that.
In debate both sides should be heard always.
But watch.
This thread will attract uniformed anti Labor posters with no true idea of the value NBN will be.
NO not sorry for my abruptness.
In fact some things passing for debate/comment of late, are far from useful.

<<Could the private sector have offered it cheaper and faster?>>

All I care is that the private sector would not take away the copper wires.

Taking away the copper wires forces an irreversible dependence on digital and internet technology for something so basic as making a phone call.

It's just a matter of time before the internet collapses, or when Australia is isolated and cannot produce those highly specialised silicon components on its own. Then we will be sorry indeed for not being able to make contact with our family and friends with a simple analogue phone call.

I can't think of what I'd do with NBN, why do I need it? I can already stream in 720p most of the time, most popular online games use some form of p2p matchmaking so quality is dependent upon the connections of the whole lobby and my kids only use Facebook, Twitter and Skype text chat, they seemingly have no interest in any other online content.