Senator Coonan has no plan (again)

Regular listeners will know I am not that knowledgeable when it comes to computers, so it is quite a concern that I seem to have a better grasp of the broadband problems than the Communications minister.

Last night Coonan huffed and puffed her way through Lateline, in a condescending and patronising manner, attacking Labor’s new broadband initiative.

Her main arguments seemed to be that if Labor’s plan would eventually run at a profit, it shouldn’t need any initial investment (an argument proving she has as good a grasp of business as she does of everything else) and that the government are committed to providing the bush with the same level of service metro enjoys.

What’s that 256? 512?

We are falling dangerously behind the developed world on this. A study highlighted in The Age showed in Paris for the equivalent of $50 Australian they get 24Mbps, unlimited downloads, unlimited VOIP calls within France and 100 TV channels coming in through the internet.

And it is not just for entertainment purposes. The lack of a world class broadband service will start to effect the way we do business, the economy, everything.

Nobody is suggesting the bush doesn’t need broadband. That is not the issue here. And I know we have a vast, somewhat isolated country and that there are complex problems which need to be overcome. So overcome them. Just sitting around saying there are problems and doing nothing won’t help. Neither will Telstra and the government just blaming each other.

It is heading towards as big a stuff up as digital TV. Only this matters even more.

3 Comments

  1. I for one think the Labor Party are on a winner here. Most people know that we have crap Broad Band. I think actually forcing the telcos to put a world class B.B. system in place is a good thing. The Government is poo hooing the idea because they realise that it is actually a good idea, and they have not thought of it. Come to think of it, what better way to use the money from selling Telstra than putting it back into establishing a world class communications system which does not cost Australians a mortgage in order to fund.

  2. Speed for Metro areas. Okay, I get a whopping 28.8k where I live. No ADSL, NO ADSL2+. Until recently (late last year) I couldn’t even get Telstra cable (BTW: Bigpond’s customer service is awful), so maybe thats the speed.

    For me, broadband access has been a voting issue. I agree 100% with Ruddies plan, and I have just seen the Liberals waste money with their Broadband connect programs. They need a plan, because it wont fix its self. If the liberals had done the spending the right way around they wouldn’t have wasted so much that they are running from having a plan. Then again this comes from the same party that people who want broadband only want it for gaming and porn (not thats there anything wrong with that :D)

    Oh also remember that Metro Broadband Connect had $50mil promised to it at the last election, and how much has been spent? Around 250,000. Its not just the bush that is being left behind but huge sections of the Metropolitan areas (and doesn’t matter when it was built, or its economic location).

    I actually have a few Singapore guys here in the lab at the moment and they are amazed with our download limits and speeds, they think Australian broadband is just some big joke.

  3. The government do seem to have misjudged the mood somewhat here. Clearly many people are very keen for a plan like this. Labor’s initative appears visionary, while Liberal’s claims it will set the country back 20 years is just ridiculous.

    Last night Coonan came across as arrogant and out of touch.

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