rechtub,
The roll out to my suburb,Darebin which is about 10k from the CBD is projected to completed between 2016-2017, at the rate they're going it'll be more like 2020, what is the internet even going to look like in seven years?

Jay. wow. 2017, that probably means I will be dead before it reaches here.

Anyway all the huffing and puffing on the NBN is pointless unless the
sites to which we connect massively upgrade their computers.
I have a 10 megabit connection but have never seen that download speed.
So when you NBN fanatics get your 25 Mbit or 100 Mbit connections you
will not see the slightest difference.
You will get very fast packets, but the time between packets will be
100 times longer !
Come in suckers !

Jay Of Melbourne - The planes are definitely a waste of taxpayer money but at least you have something tangible for your money (I say some people got kickbacks).

To me the biggest white elephant are the economic invaders in the last 2 days more than 340 have arrived. What tangible value do we get from a lot being elderly or disabled or 85% still on welfare after being here over 5 years.

We even have to give them rewards to take classes to learn English, you would think they would be glad to take classes.

WE?
You have uttered those words before.
The truth is, way out there in the lost land of the Tea Party right.
Understanding is absent!

Dear snake,

You don't want to believe what you read in some of
the tabloid press or what the Coalition tells you.
The government released the 2012-2015 NBNCo's Corporate
Plan - provided by the NBN Co Board on the 8th August.
The plan stated the capital cost will be $37.4 billion.

Dear rehctub,

Just to clarify a few things for you.
Here are some facts:

The NBN Co's current Corporate plan states that:

"NBN will require some 37.4 billion in capital expenditure
over the next decade to construct its network infrastructure.
It will also spend some 23.1 billion in operating expenditure
over that period although that figure is expected to be made up
mainly from 26.4 billion in revenues over that period.
Ultimately over the long term... NBN Co is projecting that it
will make a return of 7.1 percent on the government's
investment in the infrastructure - meaning that it is
currently projected that the construction of the NBN will
actually make the government money on its investment."

"Additionally, not all of its funding is expected to come
from the government. NBN Co is currently projecting that
it will require about 30 billion worth of government investment
over its life - with another 14 billion to be funded through
debt arrangements."

The difference between the government's plan and the Coalition's
is - the Coalition's will be antiquated
fibre to the node technology, as opposed to the NBN's best
(and thus more expensive but longer lasting)
fibre to the home rollout. And the government's is based on
actual contracts which have been signed and actual customer
take-up. Whereas who knows what the Coalition's real life
actuality will be and what the costs will be when things
have to be upgraded. More expensive in the long term - and
less efficient.

Lexi, it is not as simple as you are stating.
First the takeup is pretty poor at the present, it may improve.
That cuts a hole in the revenues expected so that money difference has
to be paid by the government.

Fibre to the premises is the best technique if you can afford it and
FTTN is an alternative, which is cheaper and you will never see the
speed difference.
Wireless, ie radio systems should not be used unless necessary.

Sen Combe keeps saying that the copper in the street is obsolete and
decrepit. I would suggest he would not have a clue which end of a
soldering iron to hold. The copper in my street has been there since
about 1960 and is in good condition when I saw it about ten years ago.
It is PTFE insulated cable which will last near forever.
Remember all those copper pots that get dug up from Roman times ?
Not even with insulation around them.
You need to take more salt with your politicians.