Poll: Voters overwhelmingly support a faster, more expensive NBN

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news A new poll undertaken by the ABC has shown that the vast majority of Australians overwhelmingly support the Government building a technically faster version of the National Broadband Network, even if it cost more to do so.

The original Labor model for the NBN saw the Government constructing the best possible Fibre to the Premises technology to almost all Australian homes and business premises. However, the Coalition has since modified the project to incorporate legacy copper and HFC cable networks owned by Telstra and Optus.

Last week, Labor launched a new policy which incorporated most elements of the Coalition’s model, but rejecting the Fibre to the Node technology which uses Telstra’s copper network, and returning the planned FTTN sections of the NBN to the original FTTP technology.

Today the ABC’s Vote Compass site has published the results of a new poll which clearly shows that Australians prefer a faster version of the NBN — even if it costs more money. Delimiter recommends readers click here for the full results.

Overall, the poll showed that 69 percent of Australians agreed with the principle that the NBN should deliver faster speeds “even if it costs the Government more”.

Support for the principle was highest amongst Labor supporters (85 percent), with Greens supporters a close second (82 percent), but even the majority (52 percent) of Coalition supporters agreed with the principle.

The news comes as research appears to have confirmed what some MPs have stated on the campaign trail — that the NBN is an influential issue in this year’s Federal Election.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported last week on research by media monitoring agency iSentia which appeared to show that the NBN, the leadership qualities of the major party leaders, and asylum seekers were the issues highest on voters’ minds.

The analysis reportedly reviewed more than 3,000 comments on social media and talkback radio, rating Opposition Leader Bill Shorten higher on the NBN issue than Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said in mid-May that she had seen “incredible” interest in the National Broadband Network issue as she travelled around Australia on the election campaign trail, delivering Labor’s message that Malcolm Turnbull had “dropped the ball” on the project.

Polling has historically demonstrated strong support for Labor’s original FTTP version of the NBN.

For example, an online poll taken by the ABC in the early days of the Abbott administration in late 2013 showed that Australians overwhelmingly believed focusing on the NBN should be Abbott’s highest priority in his first 100 days in office.

At the time, a petition placed on popular website Change.org eventually garnered almost 273,000 signatures, with the petition calling for the Liberal Party to reconsider its plans for a Fibre to the Node version of the NBN.

However, other polls have over time shown the public’s support for a FTTP weakening.

New polling data released in August 2015, for example,showed that that national support for Labor’s version of the National Broadband Network was weakening at the time, in the context that Australians appeared to strongly approve of the job that Malcolm Turnbull was doing as Communications Minister.

Shortly after that point, Turnbull successfully challenged Abbott for the Prime Ministership.

opinion/analysis
This latest polling data merely shows what those of us who write about the NBN have known for many years — Australians overwhelmingly prefer a Fibre to the Premises version of the NBN, over inferior alternatives.

And it also shows what many of us have suspected — that Australians care enough about this issue for it to influence their vote in elections.

107 COMMENTS

  1. 52% of Coalition voters may want that, but they’ll still blindly vote Liberals (most likely).

  2. Australians might want a faster internet but don’t want to pay for it.
    Like most things in life we want the best, but compromise when it is time to hand over hard earned cash.

    The NBN half year financial results available here: http://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/media-centre/media-releases/Strong-result-continues-nbns-momentum-to-full-year-targets.html

    Slide 9 of “nbn Half Year Financial Results Presentation 2016” documents that 79% of fibre connections are 25Mbps or slower, while only 16% are 100Mbps (down 3% in twelve months).

      • Indeed Darren…

        And our “friend” is really demonstrating his heartfelt crusade there…

        Not that we didn’t already know.

    • No point in paying for something that can’t be delivered. That’s not just a comment about FTTN, or HFC resulting from contention, but also a limitation on FTTP because of FTTN, bottlenecked servers and poor uplink from people you’re communicating with. There’s no point having a fast connection if 99% if what you do can’t possibly provide you with data fast enough. The only way that can improve is with universally faster services.

    • Speak for yourself Mathew (oh, you were? You really do want it for free?!!), I’m more than happy to continue paying for my 100Mbps connection ;o)

      • Actually considering how long and on how many fora Matthew has been doing this, I suspect he’s speaking (professionally) for someone else, not himself. This sort of astroturfing is hardly uncommon in politics.

    • “Australians might want a faster internet but don’t want to pay for it.”
      Yes the study shows Australian’s want a faster internet, even if it costs more..
      Even.. if.. it.. costs.. more…
      Who pays taxes? People.

    • Irrelevant; 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.

    • Of course they will. As you like to point out 79% are happily paying for 25mb or less, and 21% more than.

      Unfortunately the delay caused by the change to FTTN has meant that despite the greater than expected ARPU, we may still have trouble meeting RoI now.

    • Well we’re certainly not going to pay for an expensive UP TO 100Mb/s plan that only delivers 5Mb/s at peak times which is happening to many already on Turnbull’s MTM.

    • In other countries, people don’t have to compromise. In 2013, my TAFE teacher said that his brother, who lives just outside Stockholm, had 1Gbps symmetric and unlimited download for AUD60 a month. I still see that teacher 2 days a week, I can confirm this if you want.

      No compromise necessary.

    • Mathew is still making the same points that were invalidated in previous articles.

    • I don’t want anything for free.

      I pay my monthly access fee and expect a reasonable level of speed.

      Something which my hfc cannot give me at the moment.

      1gbs unlimited for $200 a month – bring it on!

  3. Interestingly the polling correlates with the amount of net taxes various party voters are burdened with. Voters want faster internet (free education, better healthcare, more roads, etc), someone else must pay for it.

    Unlike last election when Ross et al couldn’t find a single NBN failure to write about, seems the ABC has finally got its act together. The rural users are particularly vocal, Sky Muster causing a few issues (quality and quantity). Damn you Turnbull!

    “Australians overwhelmingly prefer a Fibre to the Premises version of the NBN”

    Big call. Most wouldn’t even know what FTTP is.

    • “Interestingly the polling correlates with the amount of net taxes various party voters are burdened with”

      Sorry, missed that. Could you point me to where it correlates the two? Also, do you mean tax they pay or tax they would pay without tax avoidance schemes?

    • Considering that the NBN is user pays.

      Everything else you have listed (free education, better healthcare, more roads) is generally not or wont be.

    • someone else must pay for it.

      I thought free market types like you preferred user pays systems?

        • Is it? Who is using the NBN for free Richard? Can you show me a chart of the free NBN users?

          LOL

          • So who knocked on your door and said we want cash up front before we connect your house to the NBN?

            LOL indeed.

          • What does that have to do with the fabled “free” users of the NBN? Or anything at all really…

      • And it does not seem to be some in the big end of town who have been paying for it. Ironically, the big end players there who profit most from it. So much for user pays.

    • “Unlike last election when Ross et al couldn’t find a single NBN failure to write about, seems the ABC has finally got its act together.”
      To be fair, it isn’t hard to pick holes in the network demolished by the worst Communications Minister Australia has ever seen.

      “Sky Muster causing a few issues (quality and quantity). Damn you Turnbull!”
      Indeed. The doubled premises serviced by the same limited capacity is causing all manner of strife right now.

    • When you buy a mobile plan, you pay for the network, which was funded through debt and then the debt repaid by you. Through customer revenue. Someone else does not pay for it. This is the same with either NBN. Yet you continue to lie by suggesting that people want it to be paid for in a different way to every other network.

      When you base your points on obvious lies, your credibility disappears.

      • Ah no, mobile networks are profitable and debt is private debt underwritten by shareholders.

        NBNCo makes loses (indefinitely), debt underwritten by the few net taxpayers.

        Maybe too complicated?

        • Makes loses? Perhaps you meant ‘Incurs Losses’? In which case see Malcolm about the comparative potential returns of his now costly Up To 25Mbps outdated copper Network or a future-proof Gbit FTTH network come 2020-22.

        • Ah no, mobile networks are profitable and debt is private debt underwritten by shareholders.

          Are you implying they were profitable while the were being constructed?

          I doubt it, which means you have one rule for the NBN, and another for PE.

    • As previously Ignored by you and others the NBN is a user pays system.

      I will explain Consumers exchange money for a service (NBN).

    • Invalid because faster internet, with the NBN as well as every other network including mobile, is paid for through debt and then repaid through customer revenue. No cuts to anything needed. Anywhere.

      • The NBN has not got to the stage where it needs external funds, it is planned to be sometime next year according to the last budget.

        So at present the NBN is funded by the Government, not external debt.

        • I think you’ll find the government expects to be paid back though, unless that’s another “LPA revision”…

  4. Oh dear, not a good week for the CFKD team. These results are likely to infuriate them even more :-(

    • Indeed Hubert.

      It’s very amusing, whenever there is a new report/article on the NBN, it’s like poking an anthill and all the little MtM foot soldiers rush out to protect the queen ant (in this case Malcolm).

      • it’s like poking an anthill and all the little MtM foot soldiers rush out to protect the queen ant

        That’s exactly what it’s like Tinman. Just look at the comments from them in this article, you can see them seething with rage as they try to come to terms with the fact that more people back a logically thought out FttP broadband plan than an irrational politically motivated one such as the GimpCo MTM FttN patchwork network clusterfuck disaster.

        • That’s why Labor are embracing the Coalition MtM plan virtually as is, I suppose the extra 2 million on FTTP (don’t ask when or where) is all it takes to erase the clusterfuck label.

          The classic hypocrisy about MtM definitions as usual is front and centre.

          • That’s why Labor are embracing the Coalition MtM plan virtually as is, I suppose the extra 2 million on FTTP (don’t ask when or where) is all it takes to erase the clusterfuck label.

            Of course it is. You still don’t get it. It’s not about Lib/Lab, it’s about the tech used.

            The FttN part IS the clusterfuck. Even if it was Malcolm that decided to ditch it and go with either FttP or Fttdp we’d cheer him on.

          • Of course it is. You still don’t get it. It’s not about Lib/Lab, it’s about the tech used.

            Indeed Tinman. Notice I did not say anything at all in my comment about Labors new policy. CFKD just made the assumption. They cant help themselves.

            The FttN part IS the clusterfuck.

            Well the whole thing is a clusterfuck now, even if Labor win it’ll still be a clusterfuck, this is the exact thing we warned about before the 2013 election. We only had one chance to get it right.

          • Tinman_au,

            The FttN part IS the clusterfuck.

            So you have decided to narrow down the definition, funny how previously HFC was part of the clusterfuck especially when the leaked report came about parts of the Optus HFC that may need to be overbuilt, with all the costing scenarios outlined.

            Now it’s case of “oh shit Labor are keeping the Coalition HFC model”, time to move the goal posts and pretend only FTTN is what we meant all along.

            As I said, classic in your face hypocrisy from the Labor apologists.

          • Tinman notice how the CFKD cant admit he was wrong about my comment decides to attack you instead to cover-up his embarrassing assumption.

          • Exactly Hubert.

            I also note his dishonesty in saying I’ve said HFC is a clusterfuck, when in fact I’ve posted here many times saying I think it’s fine for the medium term, possibly even a bit longer with DOCSIS 3.1 a bit of redesign (for splitters etc).

            I guess he’s getting desperate to put words in my mouth that I haven’t actually said…

          • Yep I’ll attest to Tinman stating that HFC is fine for the medium term. In fact I agree.

            I personally think that a single rollout of FTTP would have negated the need for HFC being used as a stepping stone. But in the post FTTP, MTM world, HFC is a usable technology(altho it is concerning that it has taken so long for HFC to get up and running in any numbers). FTTN on the other hand, is a poor technology, that will be out of date at completion, needs to be replaced, and still requires a rollout. If it requires a rollout at all, then do it once and do it right, with Fibre.

          • Yep I’ll attest to Tinman stating that HFC is fine for the medium term. In fact I agree.

            If it is fine for the medium or not the question still remains:

            Should a GBE building new communications infrastructure be buying and making use of second hand HFC in the medium term?

            I don’t think so. The fact that the coalition clowns have locked us into that is possibly one of the more abhorrent things about the MTM clusterfuck.

          • Nor do I.. Hence why I said that :-)

            “I personally think that a single rollout of FTTP would have negated the need for HFC being used as a stepping stone.”

            I was mostly referring to it as a result of the MTM clusterfuck.

      • The Mayor of Chattanooga doing a PR promo for the city, jeez who would ever thought, now if we could only get VW to open a assembly plant here.

        lol

  5. Interesting quote from the ABC article from Dr Schirmer:

    “If people report having good access to internet, they’re typically also reporting much better economic conditions in their community.”

    But that’s not important at all, is it, people just want to watch movies on it, right ;o)

    • Turnbull doesn’t want better economic conditions. He wants to enrich his 1% mates and keep the rest of us in positions of slavery.

      • The comment of course doesn’t refer to FTTP, just good access to the Internet, yeah I think we understand.

  6. Fibre was never more expensive. They blew 56 billion to slap on HFC and bring exchanges closer for ADSL ? That is expensive for obsolete infrastructure what we already have ?

    Fibre was cheaper in the end. 20 billion difference is nothing. It barely covers their faulty dog planes and all the corporate welfare which eclipses all of it including Medicare.

    • This is the beauty of the Liberal plan. Fibre WAS more expensive. It was also cheaper, it just depends on how you choose to look at the project.

      If you figure costs to the day the last switch is turned on, FttP is going to cost more, simply because theres more to do to get to that point versus FttN.

      If you figure the ongoing costs, FttN starts to lose out, because that infrastructure (and the preceding infrastructure thats still there) first needs to be maintained at a higher cost, then theres a cost to replace it.

      Both sides are right, it just depends on how you choose to look at it.

      Personally I think its disgusting to use the cheaper short term cost of FttN as a plus though, because it misleads on the final cost to get to the same point, and gets people making decisions based on incomplete data, but it doesnt make it wrong.

      • Exactly.

        It’s all about time frames.

        FttN is cheaper if you use very short timeframes (5-10 years, but FttP hit’s it out of the park when you look beyond 15-20 years.

      • “Both sides are right, it just depends on how you choose to look at it.”
        Both sides were ‘right’ up until their prediction of a $30b network fell flat and doubled. There were a few of us predicting this from before 2013. One side was NEVER right.

  7. This latest polling data merely shows what those of us who write about the NBN have known for many years — Australians overwhelmingly prefer a Fibre to the Premises version of the NBN, over inferior alternatives.

    That’s not the conclusion from the poll.

    The National Broadband Network should deliver faster speeds even if it costs the government more: Agree 69%.

    The question didn’t refer to FTTP or any other infrastructure model for that matter as a preference, ‘even if it costs the government more’ could also be upgrading HFC to DOCSIS 3.1 or FTTN to G.fast, or even faster speeds to what they have, as in no NBN connection of any kind yet.

    One respondent referred to SkyMuster as being fast but unstable, not a conclusion to be drawn of chuck out SkyMuster I want FTTP.

    • The question didn’t refer to FTTP or any other infrastructure model for that matter as a preference, ‘even if it costs the government more’ could also be upgrading HFC to DOCSIS 3.1 or FTTN to G.fast, or even faster speeds to what they have, as in no NBN connection of any kind yet.

      Yes, it could couldn’t it.

      And then build another NBN in 10 years time to get the speeds we’ll need then.

      Yes, that must be what they meant…

      • They just want a NBN connection, FTTN will connect them sooner, FTTP they will have to wait longer for, that’s assuming Labor know how to fix their FTTP ‘failed construction model’ (their words) if they get to have a second go at it.

    • But the fact is most are dissatisfied with the LNP NBN MTM policy as it currently stands. Essentially …. it’s not fast enough, happy for you to spend more taxpayer funds to make it better.
      But the LNP have no plans to make any changes. This makes it a liability for the LNP.

      Meanwhile LNP apologists wriggle around creating nitpicking talking points based on semantics and technical details in an attempt to avoid Reality.

      • But the LNP have no plans to make any changes. This makes it a liability for the LNP.

        It does?, we will see eh?

        But the fact is most are dissatisfied with the LNP NBN MTM policy as it currently stands.

        What fact?

        • The fact that the poll showed that 69% thought ‘the NBN should deliver faster speeds “even if it costs the Government more”.’

          What are they commenting on if it isnt the policy as it stands?

          The color of the crayons being used at Liberal HQ?

          • They want the Government to deliver faster speeds, as in just get on with the NBN build, not drop MtM and replace it with all FTTP.

          • Reality goes on to provide the perfect example of nitpicking and semantics (clutching at straws).
            You just defeated yourself.

          • And they’re not all 25 Mbps users satisfied with have level for the foreseeable future. They want the Govt to deliver FASTER speeds, not DELIVER faster speeds.

            Your strawman argument about it being the delivery is straight up laughable alain. 25 Mbps is no better than ADSL2. Which we’ve kind of had for over a decade.

          • laughable alain

            I’ve heard you can catch him at the Melbourne Comedy Festival next year!

          • They want the Government to deliver faster speeds, as in just get on with the NBN build, not drop MtM and replace it with all FTTP.

            But he question wasn’t “The National Broadband Network should deliver faster rollout speeds even if it costs the government more.”, was it Alain?

  8. Building a new fibre network to replace the outdated copper network in 8-10 years (as per MT, nbn™, Ziggy, etc, etc, etc) is a diversion?

    Nice diversion there!

  9. Not going to happen with Malcolm NONBN Turnbull in charge. His mate Rupie would never forgive him,

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