If you want to know who to blame for the NBN being cancelled, you can start with the NBN company itself. Their total incompetence in rolling out the project has meant it will never happen as FTTN. Coupled with Stephen Conroys insistence that no VDSL be used, even in places (such as apartment buildings where it makes sense), has meant the project was a disaster from day 1.
Why? Here we are in September 2013. By this time, according to the NBN company plans, they should have rolled the fibre passed 1.5 million homes, and had over 250K connected to fibre. So what did they actually achieve in that time and with over 5 billion dollars spent? Barely scrapped past 250K homes (and that includes wireless), and only 23000 homes connected on fibre. They have met just 2% of the build, whilst spending 14% of the project’s projected total budget.
I even have some anecdotal evidence for you. I am down here in Tassie, where they started the roll out. Since the initial trial sites which were put together and rolled out before the 2010 election, the NBN co has been releasing new updates on their progress here quite often. The only problem is, it has been largely BS. They announce suburbs as complete, when they have practically just started (as they did with Sth Hobart in 2011, wasn’t completed until july this year). They update the roll out maps regularly, but they are not worth the paper they are printed on. My area, has according to the NBN company, had a status of “ Work Commenced June 2012, expected completion July 2013”. Of course, on June 29th, 2013, that changes to “Work not yet commenced in your area”… (not a great surprise, as never saw them….)
It is no big surprise that a company that couldn’t even get an updated business plan out on time (due out this year in May, still yet to be released…), cannot manage a major infrastructure project. It has been one incompetent step after another.
And here is the rub for pro NBN people: If the NBN had met its targets, most of the coalition attacks would have been blunted, and most likely they would have been forced to continue the roll out as it was. The network would have been over 10% built, there would be a quarter of a million households singing its praises, and the attacks about cost blow outs would be hard to continue. And most importantly, it would have actually been something Labor could point to in the election.
Now to Turnbulls plan: It is a minimum speed of 25mb. Seeing as the NBN company business plan predicted the cast majority of connections would be on the minimum 12mb connection, this means the average user will actually end up with a faster connection than they would have chosen (not in uploads however). And at least with the Fibre to the Node, it will be a LOT faster to roll out. And if you want fibre to the home, you can pay to have it installed. Some of the Telcos (I know optus have said as much) are even thinking of offering free fibre to the home install if you agree to a 2 year contract.
So in short: complain about it to Mike Quigley.
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