Election 2013: Broadband Election 2013: Broadband

Of all the election issues watched by the tech sector, the national broadband network has enlivened the most debate.

The Coalition released its broadband policy ahead of many of its other policies, promising to deliver a fibre-to-the-node network for 25 percent less than Labor’s $44.1 billion fibre-to-the-home network.

Here’s how the policies stack up:

Labor

  • $44.1 billion fibre to the home network (to be delivered by June 2021), with 97 percent fibre coverage and the remainder a mix of satellite and fixed wireless.
  • Network to deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gbps and upload speeds of 400 Mbps, depending on the plan purchased.
  • Wholesale pricing structure fixed, with NBN Co remaining the monopoly provider.
  • Wholesale price capped at $24 per month for 12 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload speed, frozen for five years, and subsequent increases limited to less than the price of inflation.

    • Coalition

  • $29.5 billion mostly fibre-to-the-node premises (to be delivered by June 2015), with 71 percent FTTN and 22 percent FTTP on greenfields sites, and the remainder a mix of satellite and fixed wireless.
  • Network to deliver download speeds of up to 50 Mbps for the FTTN connections and 1 Gbps for FTTP connections. Upload speeds for FTTN connections of up to 10 Mbps and 400 Mbps for FTTP connections.
  • Wholesale pricing structure capped by the ACCC, with competing broadband access networks allowed.
  • Wholesale price forecast to be $38 per month in 2021, with a user pays policy for those wishing to connect the ‘last mile’ to their home with fibre.

    • Greens

  • Support Labor’s NBN policy.
  • Amended policy to ensure any future moves to privatise the NBN would be subject to a review to protect the public interest, requiring the approval of Parliament.

    • Analysis: Industry groups jostle for NBN influence

    Analysis: Industry groups jostle for NBN influence

    Australia's ICT industry groups all want to claim credit for the NBN and play a strategic role in its development. But who has sway over the industry or Government?
    Brett Winterford May 13 2009 6:01AM Telco/ISP
    CeBIT09: Skellern calls for industry cohesion around NBN

    CeBIT09: Skellern calls for industry cohesion around NBN

    NICTA chief executive Dr David Skellern has called on the ICT sector to form a united voice as multiple splintered industry groups jostle for a position of influence on the Federal Government's proposed National Broadband Network (NBN).
    Brett Winterford May 13 2009 5:56AM Telco/ISP
    Swan's ‘B+’ 2009/10 Federal Budget at a glance

    Swan's ‘B+’ 2009/10 Federal Budget at a glance

    Budget 2009-10 has revealed scant direct ICT stimulus measures apart from the NBN but a number of indirect opportunities around innovation, prompting the AIIA to rate it a ‘B+’.
    Ry Crozier May 13 2009 12:01AM Financial Services
    CeBIT09: Axia NetMedia ‘toying’ with NBN re-entry

    CeBIT09: Axia NetMedia ‘toying’ with NBN re-entry

    One of the bidders from the collapsed NBN RFP, Axia NetMedia, is said to be examining its options for participation in the “new new NBN”, after attending a de-brief on the RFP process last week.
    Ry Crozier May 12 2009 11:26AM Telco/ISP
    CeBIT09: Telstra still a regulatory threat, say iiNet and Optus

    CeBIT09: Telstra still a regulatory threat, say iiNet and Optus

    iiNet chief Michael Malone has urged Senator Conroy not to put the development of a telecommunications policy framework on the backburner following the change of leadership at Telstra.
    Ry Crozier May 12 2009 11:08AM Telco/ISP
    CeBIT09: NSW Government wants to build NBN testbeds

    CeBIT09: NSW Government wants to build NBN testbeds

    The NSW Government has established a broadband implementation taskforce in a bid to secure the NBN company headquarters in Sydney.
    Ry Crozier May 12 2009 9:38AM Telco/ISP
    NBN Expert Panel united on Ruddstra, not "weird" RFP

    NBN Expert Panel united on Ruddstra, not "weird" RFP

    Professor Reginald Coutts says the Government's U-turn on the National Broadband Network is very much in the spirit of the recommendations the expert panel made in its report.
    Ben Grubb May 6 2009 6:28AM Telco/ISP
    Yankee Group primes for NBN advisory role

    Yankee Group primes for NBN advisory role

    The Yankee Group will make a play to become advisers to the National Broadband Network by establishing a presence in Australia.
    Ry Crozier May 5 2009 2:28PM Telco/ISP
    Netbooks, cloud to be winners this year: IDC

    Netbooks, cloud to be winners this year: IDC

    Gazing into its crystal ball, analyst International Data Corporation predicts "pockets of opportunity" for the IT industry in an otherwise gloomy outlook this year.
    Nate Cochrane May 5 2009 2:18PM Hardware
    NBN: Conroy gets his "geek hat" on

    NBN: Conroy gets his "geek hat" on

    Senator Stephen Conroy says new splitter technology could push the reach of the FTTP component of the National Broadband Network far beyond the promised target of 90 per cent of the Australian population.
    Brett Winterford Apr 28 2009 2:39PM Telco/ISP
    iPrimus dances with Telstra on ADSL2+

    iPrimus dances with Telstra on ADSL2+

    ISP iPrimus has all but given up on building new DSLAMs in the wake of the NBN announcement, opting instead to quadruple its coverage area for ADSL2+ via a resale deal with Telstra.
    Brett Winterford Apr 24 2009 10:45AM Telco/ISP
    CCC hopes Concept Economics' NBN costs ‘are their last’

    CCC hopes Concept Economics' NBN costs ‘are their last’

    The Competitive Carriers Coalition has slammed a report by Concept Economics released today that claims the NBN could cost up to $70 billion to build while offering little benefit to consumers.
    Ry Crozier Apr 22 2009 3:08PM Telco/ISP
    Analysts weigh up costs of Telstra split

    Analysts weigh up costs of Telstra split

    Macquarie Research estimates functional separation would cost Telstra five per cent in product margins and a 33 cent hit to its share price, but the forced sale of its HFC network is a greater risk to the carrier.
    Brett Winterford Apr 22 2009 6:11AM Telco/ISP
    Opinion: Why Telstra should split in two

    Opinion: Why Telstra should split in two

    Simon Hackett, managing director at Internode gives his view on how the industry will be affected by a broken up Telstra.
    Staff Writer Apr 20 2009 12:09PM Telco/ISP
    Telstra cuts may force techies from IT: CEPU

    Telstra cuts may force techies from IT: CEPU

    The Communications Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has questioned Telstra’s logic in thinning the ranks of its regional field technicians, offering to help the incumbent find “temporary redeployment options” for them instead.
    Staff Writers Apr 14 2009 3:18PM Training & Development
    Aurora Energy in the hot seat for Tassie NBN rollout

    Aurora Energy in the hot seat for Tassie NBN rollout

    State-owned Aurora Energy is widely tipped to be the implementation partner of choice to deliver Fibre to the Home (FttH) in Tasmania in the wake of the Federal Government's NBN announcement yesterday.
    Brett Winterford Apr 8 2009 11:16AM Telco/ISP
    Consumers to pay a premium under NBN plan

    Consumers to pay a premium under NBN plan

    If back-of-the-envelope sums are any guide, Australians would need to be paying at least $70-$80 a month for the high-speed national broadband network to be profitable for investors.
    Brett Winterford Apr 8 2009 11:07AM Networking
    Network vendors scour for NBN sales openings

    Network vendors scour for NBN sales openings

    Greenfield fibre-to-the-premise network operators could now be best positioned to provide equipment vendors with a way to sell kit into the $43 billion National Broadband Network.
    Ry Crozier Apr 8 2009 12:15AM Networking
    Turnbull: Rudd is building a new Telstra

    Turnbull: Rudd is building a new Telstra

    The Federal Opposition has discredited the Rudd Government's revamped NBN, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to deliver on key election commitments.
    Staff Writers Apr 7 2009 4:00PM Telco/ISP
    Telstra separation and HFC sell-off on the cards

    Telstra separation and HFC sell-off on the cards

    The Government has put Telstra on notice that functional separation is back on the agenda and that it may force the incumbent to sell off its HFC network as well.
    Ry Crozier , Brett Winterford Apr 7 2009 3:06PM Telco/ISP

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