Fifield attacks Labor NBN “deceit” in record short press conference

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news Communications Minister Mitch Fifield this afternoon attacked what he said was the “deceit” inherent in Labor’s new National Broadband Network policy, in a brief press conference in Melbourne which appeared to last less than ten minutes.

This morning, the Australian Labor Party revealed its new National Broadband Network policy for this year’s Federal Election.

The policy will see Labor abandon the Coalition’s preferred Fibre to the Node technology in favour of Labor’s original Fibre to the Premises model. However, it will see Labor initially retain the HFC cable, satellite and fixed wireless components of the Coalition’s Multi-Technology Mix model.

At 12:16PM this afternoon, Minister Fifield called a press conference for 1PM in Melbourne. The conference lasted around ten minutes — much less than most policy-oriented press conferences during an election campaign — with the Liberal Senator taking just two questions from journalists on the issue, after giving a brief statement.

You can read the transcript of the entire press conference in this PDF document.

In his statement, Fifield said Labor’s new policy was based on “two great deceits”.

The first of these, he said, was Labor’s claim that it could deliver its version of the NBN policy on track. Labor’s policy would see its version of the NBN finished by 2022, the same date which Labor estimates the Coalition’s policy would be delivered.

However, Fifield said the Coalition’s version of the NBN was actually on track to deliver by 2020, and had met every one of its milestones over the past eight quarters.

The second “great deceit”, according to Fifield, was Labor’s claim that it could deliver its NBN policy for $57 billion in total funding — just $1 billion more than the upper estimate on the Coalition’s NBN plan.

Fifield pointed out that the NBN company’s corporate plan had highlighted a lower-end cost of $49 billion for the Coalition’s version of the NBN, and noted that the NBN company was on track to meet this target.

This meant, Fifield said, that Labor’s version of the NBN would take “at least two years longer to deliver, and cost at least $8 billion more”.

Fifield also attacked Labor’s record on the NBN.

“When the Coalition came into Government, we inherited a mess,” he said. “Malcolm Turnbull brought order to bear where there was chaos.”

“So badly managed was the NBN under Labor that they were in a situation in four states where contractors had downed tools … the story of the NBN under this government has been a good one — a new board, new management, a new mandate.”

Fifield said that Labor had only managed to get about 51,000 paying customers hooked up to the NBN over six years in office. In comparison, the NBN company under the Coalition had connected about 61,000 paying customers to the NBN in the past month alone. The project now had over 1 million paying customers, he said, with the NBN network available to about 2.6 million Australians.

Fifield said the only threat to the NBN rollout at the moment was for Labor to take over and ensure that “Australians wait longer and pay more.”

“Australians will pay more through their monthly Internet bills,” he said. “I don’t support the NBN being delayed by two years, and I don’t support [paying] $8 billion extra.”

Labor has stated that it would ask Infrastructure Australia to review the future of Australian premises who would not initially receive FTTP under its policy. This may result in long-term FTTP upgrades for Australians who initially received FTTN or HFC cable technology to their premises.

Fifield noted that Labor had not yet outlined the cost of going back and ‘retrofitting’ these premises.

Asked by a journalist whether the Coalition’s NBN model was only a “short-term fix”, Fifield said: “No, ours is a method of get the NBN out to Australians sooner and faster; to see the NBN rolled out as fast as possible and at a lower cost.”

Image credit: Screenshot of ABC coverage of Minister Fifield’s press conference, believed to be covered under fair dealing

174 COMMENTS

  1. yet who was it that caused a 2 year delay when cancelling FTTP and going MTM ? hmm? hmm?

    • Buzzinga!

      Blatant deciet has been a hallmark of this government’s handling of the NBN!

      Royal Commision please!!

    • then what is 25mbps to all premises by 2016 ?

      To be completed in the next 200 days ;-)

    • So true, 25mbps and 19 billion was it not? Also said before an election by the now prime minister, which means fifield thinks that Turnbull also deceived the Australian people.

        • Who knows what what the figures are going to be like AFTER the network is actually COMPLETED?

          It is infantile and moronic to lie about take up figures for political point scoring before the network is even half completed.

          To get the *REALISTIC* figures perhaps wait until one year after the network is completed because there is also “churn rate”. Customers, both residential & commercial, will be constantly changing plans depending on the Internet usage requirements, choice of applications & services unleashed by the choice of higher bit rates.

          I have all of the take up figures that relate to FTTP deployments in the United States since 2010 and no one argues much with the FCC and major U.S. telcos.

          Frankly, the supercilious Australian non-technical political broadband dialog is exclusive to the country. Australians are new kids on the block and it shows!

          International Laughing Stock!

      • That may be correct for once Mathew even if barking up the wrong tree.
        Perhaps those 79% aren’t prepared to pay macadamia prices for peanuts?
        As aged pensioners we’re certainly not prepared to pay top dollar for the pathetic “Up To” speeds that NBNCo are now delivering & have recently requested to be downgraded from our present Top Tier “Up To 50/20 FW plan that has gradually degraded to the stage where it now doesn’t even match a 12/1 plan’s expected performance level any evening or weekend.

        • Considering that the 79% are FTTP only figures, I have no issues with your statement.

          I’m sure that you are well aware that congestion issues exist on FTTP and were expected by NBNCo and the level of congestion was even defined as a way for RSPs to differentiate themselves. The first NBNCo Corporate Plan did include committed information rate (CIR) AVC that could be purchased on top of standard peak information rate (PIR) AVC at a small premium: 5/5Mbps is $300/month extra.

          • Your point being? What does it matter which mode of delivery is involved?
            When customers realise they’re consistently only receiving a fraction of what they’re paying for at peak times regardless of chosen provider (we’ve now trialled 5 including the top rated ones to date) then of course most will adjust their plans & payments accordingly. A situation that allows Mitch & others to smugly justify their claims that there’s no demand for high speed fibre services.

          • I’m curious are you blaming Mitch for Labor’s financial charging model for the NBN that combines speed and data charges as the reason for low speed demand?

            I’d suggest it is just another example of how Labor had a bright idea but completely messed up the implementation.

          • Err Mathew, in case you hadn’t noticed Labor’s NBN was “demolished” shortly after the election back in 2013 & no longer exists.
            The Malcolm & Mitch MTM circus has since been in control of all aspects including speed and data charges.

          • “The Malcolm & Mitch MTM circus has since been in control of all aspects including speed and data charges”

            Exactly…how can you possibly blame Labor when the LNP has kept the same model in place??

          • “I’d suggest it is just another example of how Labor had a bright idea but completely messed up the implementation.”

            Yes, and the Coalition has been in power since 2013, and has kept the exact same system in place.

            So, while it was a dumb idea in the first place, the Coalition are going along with what you’re calling Labors “bright idea and completely messed up implementation”. Which is worse?

      • Yes thanks again for the perpetual slanted spiel Mathew (like the 5 year 50/12 spiel – didn’t that work well for you – PRICELESS).

        But since you’ve perpetually talked about 25mbps or less (although I note you intentionally excluded the “or less” on this occasion, apparently to try to better fit the 25mpbs for all mantra, lol) and continually tap danced around the topic when I asked a number of times previously..

        Even having slower options now, with retrograde MTM…

        Q. What’s the percentage of customers who are choosing 25mbps or more?
        A . _ %

        Please enter number on the _

        GO don’t be shy.

        Unless of course, you have a reason to intentionally avoid such an answer (ahem)?

        You’re welcome.

          • Really? That IS a coincidence.

            FYI, the 79% is based on 761k FttP users, with 253k on 12/1 and 351k on 25/5. The rest are on better, including 115k on 100/40.

            Curiously though, the 79% figure doesnt include people on 25/10, which would bump the 79% amount up to 80%…

          • Curiously though, the 79% figure doesn’t include people on 25/10, which would bump the 79% amount up to 80%…

            Hmmm…I wonder what the takeup is on TPG’s FttB service….that’d be interesting to see.

          • @Tinman looking at their website its slated as a “from 50 to 100Mbps” service at the rather popular $70 price point.

            (with a bundled phone)

      • Irrelevan;, as the original forecast was 50% on 25 or faster, and that turned out to be 65% and on the rise. The higher end plans provide more revenue, so this percentage being higher than forecast renders your point meaningless.

        • > Irrelevan;, as the original forecast was 50% on 25 or faster, and that turned out to be 65% and on the rise.

          Except that the price difference between 12Mbps ($24) & 25Mbps ($27) is only $3 which is tiny compared to 100Mbps ($38) & 250Mbps ($70). The fact that 100Mbps & 250Mbps are significantly worse than estimated cannot be helping the NBN budget.

          • “Except that the price difference between 12Mbps ($24) & 25Mbps ($27) is only $3 which is tiny compared to 100Mbps ($38) & 250Mbps ($70)”

            Is that anywhere in Oz? Obviously you’re not quoting Telstra or Optus charges but some obscure <10GB/month provider.

          • Grump3 what Mathew fails to under stand is the speeds supplied over FTTP cost the same to deliver and that the fast tiers NBN makes a better return on

          • +1
            Yes we’ve already reverted from 50/20 to 25/5Mb/s recently as there’s no point in paying for speeds we’re not receiving so less revenue from us.
            PS: Thanks for your above explanation on those charges Jason.

          • Except that the price difference between 12Mbps ($24) & 25Mbps ($27) is only $3 which is tiny compared to 100Mbps ($38) & 250Mbps ($70). The fact that 100Mbps & 250Mbps are significantly worse than estimated cannot be helping the NBN budget.

            Didn’t you want more people on 12Mbps?? The fact that more people are taking higher ARPU/Speed plans is a good thing, isn’t it? Why do you want the NBN to fail???

          • “Except that the price difference ”
            You’ve really failed in your thinking, there. The gain of $3 for 15% (45) clearly outweighs the loss of $10 for 4% (40).

  2. It was pretty clear from Fifield’c commentary that the current government or NBN Co management have no idea about the costs of upgrading FTTN.

    It appears Mitch thinks it will be adequate for the next ten years? Very brave imho.

    • According to the criminally paid-for SR13s’ fraudulent figures, FTTP will only be needed by 2026 at the latest.

      Of course the FTTP rollout was slated to take 11+ years, so we needed to start rolling up yesteryear if we didn’t want to get left behind.

      The Liberals have actively f’d the nations telecommunications infrastructure, even when going by their own conservative, falsified claims.

  3. This meant, Fifield said, that Labor’s version of the NBN would take “at least two years longer to deliver, and cost at least $8 billion more”.

    — well worth it. At least it won’t be obsolete before it’s even completed like the dud that FTTN is.

    • Exactly! Even if it ends up being $8bn more and taking two years longer, at least at the end of it we’ll have the most futureproof NBN we could hope for. The MTM, even if for the sake of argument, would be $8bn cheaper and two years earlier, would be obsolete as soon as it’s completed. W

    • “This meant, Fifield said, that Labor’s version of the NBN would take “at least two years longer to deliver, and cost at least $8 billion more”.”
      Which is damn impressive, considering that CP16 rates a FTTP rollout today at $84b in total, and Hockey rates the MTM rollout at $70.6b – $8b for Labors’ efficient plan is a steal.

  4. 2 Years and $8Bn more sounds like a pretty good deal for a network that will last decades and not only a few years.

    • Possibly a good deal if you are in the less than 1% that Labor expect will be able to afford a 1Gbps connection in 2026. However it is also a very large number of FoD connections.

      • Labor made no such prediction, that was a worst case scenario.
        And considering that the vast majority of homes on the planet will connected to gigabit networks by 2020, it’s a safe bet that it was far too conservative even then.
        Never once has Labor made a prediction like that though, they just pointed out the numbers if it ever occurred.

        • Worst case scenario like every other prediction in the NBNCo Corporate Plan?

          Do you have the annotated version where it breaks down predictions into:
          – optimistic (e.g. build timelines, costing, number of active connections, faster speeds take-up)
          – realistic (e.g. end-user pricing)
          – conservative (e.g. 250Mbps speed tier take up in 2016, 1Gbps speed tier take up in 2026)

          6 years after Labor announced 1Gbps connections in response to Google Fibre and almost 3 years after NBNCo made 1Gbps available to RSPs we are yet to see an RSP offering connections faster than 100Mbps.

          • Yet Mathew let’s use you hypothetical argument you claim when FTTN is faster than FTTP. Like say labor change the cvc pricing to make 1Gbps more affordable. But then that you make your claim laughable at best wouldn’t it?

            The coalition which is currently in charge doesn’t appear to want to change it even though they did claim we would be paying less for there connection. Other than offering a token gesture which still doesn’t solve the underlying problem.

          • > Like say labor change the cvc pricing to make 1Gbps more affordable.

            I haven’t seen one indication that Labor are about to acknowledge the fundamental errors they made in the design of the NBN financial model.

            If Labor reduced CVC pricing then they would either need to:
            1. Acknowledge that the NBN will never deliver a return on investment
            2. HIke the AVC pricing to replace the lost CVC revenue

            It is generally accepted that data consumption will continue to rise as content grows richer and if speeds are faster that data consumption will grow faster. This means it is possible to discount AVC now in the knowledge that more people will connect and that CVC revenue will grow faster and the loss will be covered in the future.

            Increase AVC pricing and fewer people will connect cutting revenue.

          • Yet I havent seen any indication that the coalition will remove speed teirs on FTTN.

            Nailed it. Also I haven’t seen any indication the coalition clowns GimpCo will offer 1gbps FttN connections.

          • “like every other prediction in the NBNCo Corporate Plan?”

            See, that’s the thing. A corporate plan isn’t a device for prediction, it is a device for planning contingencies. You have this bizarre fixation about contingency planning being some Nostradamus thing…
            It is just so weird…

          • 6 years after Labor announced 1Gbps connections in response to Google Fibre and almost 3 years after NBNCo made 1Gbps available to RSPs we are yet to see an RSP offering connections faster than 100Mbps.

            I’m with Mathew, FU Labor, wheres our free internet?!!!1

            But seriously, take a look at how NZ is doing it….

          • Still pumping for no speeds and lower CVC to fuel your bit torrenting, wow you are dedicated. BTW, how many one 12Mb plan now? Oh that’s right, now you’ve shift the goal posts on your little OCD topic.

          • “2. HIke the AVC pricing to replace the lost CVC revenue”

            If no one is buying a 1 Gbps service, no revenue is lost by lowering its price.

            Economics 101. If a good service costs no more to supply than a poor service, why not remove artificial price inhibitors?

          • “A corporate plan isn’t a device for prediction, it is a device for planning contingencies.”
            Classic;-)

          • “6 years after Labor announced 1Gbps connections in response to Google Fibre”

            Not true. The Google Fiber business entity didn’t exist 6 years ago. They are new kids on the block.

            NBN chose the ITU-T recommendation series G.984.1 through G.984.6 Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON) which provides Layer 1 and Layer 2 of the network. All FTTP based broadband networks implement this technology until recently because it has been superceded.

            The OSI Network Model (seven layers) Layer 1 refers to the provision of bitstream (light) across the fiber. Layer 2 refers to encoding & decoding of the light into bits. Layer 3 and above are left to the service providers which refer to switching, routing, connections, security, applications & quality of service.

          • SC

            “The Google Fiber business entity didn’t exist 6 years ago.”
            Neither did Quigley’s 1gbps product, announced prior to the 2013 election.

            “Layer 2 refers to encoding & decoding of the light into bits. ”
            Ah, no. Classic;-)

          • Are you saying the nbn isn’t a layer 2 bitstream service, or that layer 2 isn’t the data link layer Richard?

          • Richard.

            You wouldn’t know the GPON standard specification means, even if it hit you on the head while you walking down the street!!!!!!

          • “encoding & decoding of the light into bits” is not layer 2. “40 years experience”, yet learnt nothing.

            Bitstream service is irrelevant to layer 1 (physical) and why the same service is provided across physical mediums (even those without “light into bits”). Keep digging;-)

          • Richard stick to your day job if you have one:

            GPON standard is applicable to Layer 1 & Layer 2 of the OSI Model!!

            The NBNCo service provided to RSPs is Ethernet Layer 1 & Layer 2 the remaining layers are for the RSP to determine.

            Suck on it retard!

          • SC you can post as many links (you don’t understand) as you like.

            No argument the GPON standards encompass Layer 1 & Layer 2 of the OSI Model, however “encoding & decoding of the light into bits” is not layer 2. Quigley is also wrong (quelle surprise).

            Reflect on your posts, apologise and move on.

          • To clarify

            NBN Co provides an Ethernet Bitstream Service which provides wholesale downstream and also an Ethernet virtual circuit to deliver Layer 2 packets between the network boundaries, the Network Interface ((NNI) to the User Network Interface (UNI) at the customers premises. It contains four configurable components.

            Ethernet describes both the OSI Layer 1 and Layer 2 attributes of a network.

            Gigabit Passive Optical Networks (GPON) defines the physical topography therefore it resides at OSI Layer 1 and over the top of that is a MAC layer protocol at OSI Layer 2.

          • @Snow Crash

            Richards just trolling now, he knows he’s wrong, but as usual, he’d die in a ditch before admitting it.

          • SC:

            As usual, Richard is both Wrong and right.

            If you take the absolute statement of the words you used, “Layer 2 is the encoding of light into bits” that is wrong.

            That step technically occurs at Layer 1. Theoretically Layer 2 should have no reference to the actual light. (Since the physical light only exists in Layer 1).

            But of course, Richard is wrong because he is taking your statement entirely literally. You were talking about the encoding of a bitstream, whereas he was talking about the conversion of the bits into pulses light.

            It is actually why having a conversation with Richard is worthless. His entirely literal interpretation of everything makes human interaction.

            I highly recommend no one bothers responding to his comments, because surprise surprise, we have just been diverted on another aside that has absolutely no relevance to the topic at hand.

            Of course not even I can take my own advice.

            Sigh. Trolled again.

          • @pa writes
            “But of course, Richard is wrong because he is taking your statement entirely literally. You were talking about the encoding of a bitstream, whereas he was talking about the conversion of the bits into pulses light.”

            His statement was wrong, I’m write. Sure if you make up something he (and Quigley) might say but didn’t then perhaps I’m wrong, or not. Depends on what you choose to make up I guess;-)

          • “The OSI Network Model (seven layers) Layer 1 refers to the provision of bitstream (light) across the fiber. Layer 2 refers to encoding & decoding of the light into bits. ”

            I rest my case!

          • Hey its not like there are several African 3rd world nations deploying fibre (1-10Gbps etc) so you must be right Mathew …. oh snap guess not!

          • Sc rested his case some time ago. He was wrong, simply repeating it is foolish.

            Reflect, apologise and move on.

          • Sc rested his case some time ago. He was wrong, simply repeating it is foolish.

            You’re an idiot Richard, you don’t send “encoded” data over layer 1.

          • “His statement was wrong, I’m write”

            You may be write, but you certainly are not right…kinda says it all right there.

          • Several scientific studies prove that conservatives are not terribly bright. Their brains are wired in such a way that results in low I.Q.

            As a result they are prone to low-effort thought process which also promotes conservatism. Additionally the low I.Q. promotes the prejudice and racism.

            One of the studies concluded that alcohol consumption promotes low-effort thought process encouraging conservatism. The amount of alcohol for me to consume so that I vote for Donald Trump would kill me!

            http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.html

      • I don’t care how many people were predicted to be on what speed when and where. It is irrelevant.

        My point was that a FTTP network will last decades that FTTN will not. It is infinitely scalable for when we need higher speeds, FTTN is not. For the cost of 2 extra years and $8Bn more? When discussing the amounts of money that Governments deal with, $8Bn is nothing.

        But the laymen who all think $1M is a lot of money, look at $8Bn and explode thinking “OMG THAT IS SO MURCH MURNIES!”. No, it isn’t. Shut up. We are spending billions on new jets that don’t even work yet, and billions to a foreign sub builder to build new submarines for Australia. But nah, $8Bn more for a world class network that will be used for nearly 100 years is way too much to pay over the already $46-56Bn we are already paying for a subpar network.

        • and billions to a foreign sub builder to build new submarines for Australia.

          Apparently the design they picked is only any good as a nuclear option, as the atomic version is pretty well silent all the time and doesn’t need to surface to charge. Of course, we’re going to fit them with diesels/electric :/

        • “I don’t care how many people were predicted to be on what speed when and where. It is irrelevant.”
          Classic;-)

          • Classic, as it is irrelevant to the point I was making about the network being designed to last decades. You’re a tool.

            I said for $8Bn and 2 years more, we would get a network that will last near 100 years. Compared to FTTN which will, as noted by NBN Co, will need to be upgraded/replaced within 5-7 years of completion for an undisclosed amount. (Which was when the completion date was 2019, but now thats blown out too).

            Yeah, sounds like really sound investment. Build something that has to be upgraded within 10 years. It’s like buying a car, paying it off over 5 years, only to then have to buy a new car within a year because you bought a lemon in the first place.

          • Lol classic Richard like the said numbers that has trouble adding up $755. Claims from the date of the last election every connection is Turnbull success lol.

          • “ALP’s policy announcement has been gold for exposing the FTTHers’ ignorance. 2016 was always going to be a bad year for them”

            I only repeated what your friend Minister Fifield said about the ALP policy. He is the one who claimed it would take 2 years and $8Bn more.

            Take it up with him, you Coalition shill.

          • “the network being designed to last decades. ”

            Results of rigorous stress tests conclude optical fiber can last for more than 100 years once its in the ground.

            Passive Optical Technology is also future proof as there is an upgrade path that is not expensive to the OSI Layer 1 & Layer 2 technology.

            Currently NBN implements GPON technology capable of speeds up to 1Gbps symmetrical & asymmetrical.

            This has been superseded by XG-PON which is up to 10Gbps and recently NG-PON2 which is up to 40Gbps and XGS-PON for symmetric 10Gbps. Research and ITU-T approval is still pending for PON standards for 80Gbps and 100Gbps bandwidth.

            Fundamentally these standards can live along side one another on the same network, so a PON upgrade does not have to apply to the entire network.

            But all of this is a way too technical for the non-technical riff-raff who couldn’t even implement a 5-user LAN.

          • If only it was possible with a technically challenged and very limited product with low shelf life. Previous Delimiter articles have told us why such a claim belongs in the toilet. LOL

            “I wonder whether any other generation has seen such astounding revolutions of data and values as those through which we have lived. Scarcely anything material or established which I was brought up to believe was permanent and vital, has lasted. Everything I was sure or taught to be sure was impossible, has happened.” Winston Churchill 1930

    • Damn impressive, considering that CP16 rates a FTTP rollout today at $84b in total, and Hockey rates the MTM rollout at $70.6b – $8b for Labors’ efficient plan is a steal.

  5. So, as soon as journos started to ask hard questions, Fifield ended the press conf?

    There’s a lot of bluster coming from the Coalition on this issue, and very little substance.

    And a complete failure to acknowledge that without the years of infrastructure building NBNCo did prior to 2013, they’d have approximately zero customers connected to the NBN today.

    Have they admitted, yet, how many of the million customers are connected to NBN infrastructure planned prior to 2013, like fixed wireless, satellite, and FttP?

  6. Here’s another one to add to Malcolm Turnbull’s litany of NBN BLOOPERS

    “Just in the last month, the NBN connected more premises than Labor did in SIX years.”

    Lets debunk yet another myth

    The TRIAL rollout (Stage One) was announced in Tasmania July 2009 with first customers connected 12 months later. Stage 2 was announced October 2009. Stage 3 announced March 2010

    First release sites on the mainland commenced August 2010 and had services live in April 2011 in low density population country and regional towns such as Armidale.

    Tony Abbott and the LNP won the election in 2013.

    You do the math!

    1 + 2 = 6 ;-)

    • Actually, if you read the quote Fifield is correct.

      “Fifield said that Labor had only managed to get about 51,000 paying customers hooked up to the NBN over six years in office”.

      The fact that the NBN was conceived during year 3 of Labor being in office is a prime example of the totally deceptive manner of messaging that the Coalition are now being forced to use because of their entire inept management of this nation building project.

      The sooner that operation of NBN co is opened up for all to see, the better off we will all be.

    • Careful Snowy, using “numbers” will bring the “Wrath of Richard”! (Not that I disagree)

      • “Actually, if you read the quote Fifield is correct.”
        SC expected to read the actual quote? (Rofl) too busy myth debunking his own imagination.

        TM what numbers? Hilarious.

        • Richard:

          Get your hand off it son. Obviously you and BruceH didn’t read my post. Go make an appointment with SpecSavers.

          Please, come back and see us when you have some commercial experience with data communications networks.

          If you removed the polliwaffle from your brain for just 5 minutes you would have much left going for you. You have as much integrity as a Mickey Mouse Watch.

          • Rizz has the memory of a goldfish.

            Whilst repeatedly asking you to be civil in one of your bile filled posts you called out my lack of experience. When pointed out I was a CIO you squealed untrue. HC subsequently googled it (later posting company, my email address and threatening phone number to intimidate).

            Another moment of your stalking bile you claimed I was uneducated. I responded with my list of formal qualifications. projecting your lack of any (reflected in your comical misunderstanding of reading titles) you claimed untrue. So a $10k wager was offered; you walked away.

            Given the accurate info and analysis I’ve provided, one might wonder what other positions / industries one might have had in a successful 25 year IT career?

            You’ve now a new comrade, seemingly with same level of tech/financial understanding and abusive modus operandi (leftoids are attracted to like feeble-minds). I’ll expose his ignorance for a while then move on; he’ll join the conga-line of ignorance responding to every one of my posts.

          • When pointed out I was a CIO

            That posted on ZDNet with his real name? While claiming so much “internetz” experience? I think the people counter story is more viable.

            Feel free to call me a “squeeler”, it’s what you constantly like to stoop to.

          • Richard works for a company which makes people traffic counters …

            So he knows more about comms than anyone else here.

            Just ask him :/

            BTW – this isn’t an invasion of privacy or personal.

            Years ago he got huffy because I called him uneducated (topically speaking) as he didn’t and still doesn’t understand commenting in relation to the topic.

            He then rattled off his so called qualifications (err to prove how educated he was/is and in the process proved my point about being uneducated by still not understanding topical commenting) and then said to me and HC if you want verification find it?

            So HC did. LOL

            Anyway I just did a Richard and commented off topic to try to shed light… so my apologies all round.

          • “Richard works for a company which makes people traffic counters … ”

            He got all the numbers on the queues at CentreLink offices nationwide!?! :o)

          • So HC did. LOL

            Indeed Rizz. Yet he still persist with lies about what actually transpired at Zdnet. That whiny victim complex of his kicking in yet again when the debate doesn’t go his way. Another of my predictions proves to be true. I look forward to the next installment.

  7. Fact check? The typical diatribe from Fifield smells worse than my morning constitutional.

    • Nothing we can do about Fifield, but you should watch what you eat the night before…
      ;)

  8. The fascists are really crying foul having their ideology bought undone. They really have business and the economy in mind don’t they when they talk bullshit about jobs, innovation and the economy. Get stuffed silly dud. Get away from anything technology related Murdoch lobbying scum.

  9. Can’t even be bothered to properly rebutt … me think he’s more than aware this debate is just all lose lose now.

  10. I think the Liberal’s NBN should simply be called what it really is… an ADSL upgrade. And adding a lot of mini-exchanges.

  11. What a bloody joke! This is just more of the same BS and Spin that the LNP have been pedaling for the last 3 1/2 years. And all of it is completely unfounded and unjustifiable.
    It’s BS, pure and simple. And it’s no wonder Senator Fifield held one of the shortest media conferences on record. He knows it’s BS and he can’t defend it.

    When will someone of note and influence come to grips with the NBN issue and hold the LNP and the PM to task? (Sorry Renai but you just don’t appear to have the same clout as the MSM. Maybe dye your hair, have a sex change and call yourself Leigh :D )

    And speaking of holding people to task ….. Helloooooo Kevin Morgan!
    WOW! Having gone from being the ‘go to’ telecommunications consultant in the lead up to the previous election (along with your mate Henry Ergas) you really have dropped off the radar. What’s up Kev? Feeling a little neglected? I suppose after your last gig getting paid $8,000 as a consultant to the Ergas led, Turnbull initiated ‘Strategic Review’ – that completely unbiased report on the NBN – you seem to have disappeared!

    So yeah …. it would be really great to get in touch, maybe on this forum, to discuss the current state of the Turnbull MTM. Even if it’s just to update me on how the rabbits are going.
    C’mon, you know you want to!
    Looking forward to it.

    • “This is just more of the same BS and Spin that the LNP have been pedaling for the last 3 1/2 years.”

      Six years!!!! LMAO

  12. Renai, as you know, the fixed wireless & satellite were part of the Labor NBN that the LNP kept, mainly because they couldn’t find a way to dump it.
    Maybe acknowledge that part too, rather than just allowing it to look like it was an LNP idea.

    • The fixed wireless can actually be traced back to OPEL a Coalition project from 2006 which Labor delayed for 3 years only to re-implement similar wireless technology.

      • Only this time, they didn’t build it to allow Optus and Elders exclusive rights for reselling it…

      • OPEL… ROFL…

        My that’s about as desperate as one can get, to try to mention OPEL as some guiding light in this debate.

        A WiMAX roll out which, err, never even got underway, whatsoever, nothing, zero, zilch, SFA.

        Much like the ready to go/fully costed FTTN did for 2 years…

        And yes these (SFA OPEL and FRAUDBAND/NODAFAIL) were both Coalition projects (since you wish/are compelled to politicize it)

        You’re welcome

        • Not only that, the Opel WiMax design wouldn’t have delivered half of what it was supposed to!

          I worked for an ISP with a large WiMax network and we thought Opel was hilarious, it was typical conservative b.s. That ignored physics and the real world because “they said so”.

    • They may not have dumped Fixed Wireless but in line with most of their MTM policies they’ve managed to slow it down to a congested crawl through over-subscribing towers & lack of back-haul.

  13. Liberals NBN should be renamed the 21st Century Dialup network – it relies on the same technology.

      • Mathew how do you know in 10 years time do you have a crystal ball telling you what will happen?

        • We know what Labor planned and expected to happen. We know that in most parts of the NBN Corporate Plan, Labor was overly optimistic.

          • “We know what Labor planned and expected to happen”

            Yup…FTTP to 93% of the premises. Your personal views on “what they meant” are just bizarre though…

            “We know that in most parts of the NBN Corporate Plan, Labor was overly optimistic”

            Really? Is that how you see things? I guess that kinda figures…

          • Labor was overly optimistic.

            And the LPA “best economic managers evah” agreed ;o)

            What’s your issue?

          • But Mathew you claim fttn is faster when you remove speed teirs. But we know the coalition isn’t planing or expected to happen. Come on you can’t argue against your own hypothetical excuses lol.

      • Would you mind renaming the Labor NBN as “1Gbps for the richest 1% in 2026”?

        If you can pay for it, why shouldn’t you get it?

      • And here it is…

        Hindsight only/Conservative (ill) logic in all its glory.

        Mathew continually cherry picks, to bag a network which “can” achieve such speeds, but never bags the network which can’t.

        Why would anyone do that?

        Oh wait.

      • Only if you call roads: “Tarmac for the 1%’ers that spend 500 thousand dollars on Audi R8s”

  14. Waiting for NBNCo to announce that to simplify the rollout speed tiers on FTTN will be removed and the wholesale rate set at 25Mbps.

    Around 80% of those on FTTN would see their speeds jump to faster than if their were connected on FTTP. A massive boost to average broadband speeds in Australia for zero cost.

    • But Mathew if Labor Removed the cvc pricing that 1% on 1Gbps would be more wouldn’t it.

      • Remove CVC pricing and you need to increase AVC pricing to balance the books or forego any opportunity of NBNCo ever returning a profit.

        • But Mathew but about the FTTN being faster than FTTP? Physically impossible but you still claim it as much

        • Remove CVC pricing and you need to increase AVC pricing to balance the books or forego any opportunity of NBNCo ever returning a profit.

          If the kiwi’s can do it, we can….just sayin`…

        • Remove CVC pricing and you need to increase AVC pricing to balance the books or forego any opportunity of NBNCo ever returning a profit.

          No, they’d also introduce data volume pricing, the same as NZ.

          It’s not a magic pudding, some how, some way people will have to pay for what they access.

          • No no TM,

            Just because everywhere else on earth people must pay… and even though FTTP would actually deliver higher revenues and 1Gbps speed, where as FTTN won’t, err, lets bag FTTP and not FTTN… as this is different, because…

            That big bad FTTP plan from that political party starting with L… (no the other, L the bad guy L, ones..) did it…

            Repeat ad nauseum, ad infinitum (with smatterings of 50/12)…

            Err, ok :/

        • Spot on Mathew! ALP policy; increase last mile connection speeds, ignore RSP contention, time to rollout, customer demanded speeds and available revenue. Billions of additional borrowed taxpayers money wasted for the same (poor) outcome.

          • So Richard labor only spent $6B when Turnbull took over now it’s upto $29B and they gave bearly even started the HFC and FTTN where did all those $B’s go to

    • And the price of the service would go up for those 80%.

      Whats your point? You want basic access to the internet to be more expensive?

  15. Kenya, Zaire, The Congo, and Rwanda are all currently building 100mbit 100/100 FTTP with no upload/download caps. We are literally worse than a Banana republic now. Something has to be done urgently to stop the rot of our nation’s infrastructure. The Liberals are so wrong on this it’s ludicrous.

  16. “Australians will pay more through their monthly Internet bills,” he said. “I don’t support the NBN being delayed by two years, and I don’t support [paying] $8 billion extra.”

    They still keep saying this, but I’ve yet to see any basis for it. In fact isn’t the MTM dearer if you want a landline phone?

    PS Who’s Matthew? Is it Richard?

    • They still keep saying this, but I’ve yet to see any basis for it.

      It mostly comes from the “counterfactuals” and the discredited SR, so…yeah, no factual basis.

      PS Who’s Matthew? Is it Richard?

      No. And it’s Mathew with one “T”, there is actually a Matthew that posts here as well.

    • And I don’t support having a better service whose hardware will last longer.

      And in the switch to digital TV, the punters bought bigger television sets than they had before. And they did not whinge about it. Presumably because they saw value in having a bigger television set. Feeding the chooks.

  17. To attack that which is indisputable!

    Just what mononeuron altering substance is Mitch smoking, drinking, snorting or injecting these days?.

    I want what Mitch, is smoking, drinking snorting or injecting, so I can ignore all forms of reality in the real world and enjoy this crappy over priced and under serviced network that Hellstra offers these days. LOL

  18. “Fifield noted that Labor had not yet outlined the cost of going back and ‘retrofitting’ these premises.”

    My favourite statement from the whole article.

    Imagine the horror cost of Labour retrofitting the proportion of the network that needs retrofitting from current FTTN contracts.

    So when is the Malcom Turner Party (seems to be what’s advertised on the former LNP background banners) going to give us the cost of retrofitting their FTTN as the end-game is supposed to be full fibre (after the build).

    • As Minister for Comms, in a government who’s leader/PM has clearly said that FTTP is the end goal… if Mitch doesn’t know the cost from going from their current plan to that very end goal…

      He is obviously incompetent.

    • “Fifield noted that Labor had not yet outlined the cost of going back and ‘retrofitting’ these premises.”

      It is very clear in Labors policy that won’t be apparent until after Labor is in office and in the first term, commissions expertise from Infrastructure Australia to determine the plan of how, when & cost to transition FTTN to FTTP

  19. Poor Internet/broadband take up by residential & enterprise is inherent in the Australian psych and has had a long history.

    Take up of dialup Internet in the mid 1990’s: PATHETIC
    Take up of ADSL: PITIFUL. (the implementation was a failure)
    Take up of ADSL2+: God damned disgraceful to the extent that its downright embarrassing.

    I am not even going to touch on HFC cause everyone thinks its only for PayTV in Metro areas! LoooL

    • “Poor Internet/broadband take up by residential & enterprise is inherent in the Australian psych and has had a long history.”
      Largely a result of Telstra’s monopolistic tactics I would suggest.

      “Take up of dialup Internet in the mid 1990’s: PATHETIC”
      Take up of ADSL: PITIFUL. (the implementation was a failure)”
      Same words describe their performance, pricing & reliability on our neglected copper.

      “Take up of ADSL2+: God damned disgraceful to the extent that its downright embarrassing.”
      Not available to most of us, again thanks to Telstra.

      Just today our home NBN service was out for over 4 hours due to being downgraded to a price & ‘Up To’ speed tier that even now still fails to match with what it actually delivers!
      Can’t expect us to enthusiastically embrace those overpriced slops doled out to us on our starvation level menu.

      • I seem to remember the results of the 2013 Election.

        This told us everything about Australian’s attitude to Internet & Broadband

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