Bush-first NBN build was back to front says NBN Co CEO

NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow has told a TasICT gathering that the original National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout plan, which prioritised regional areas to receive fibre first, was a mistake. Speaking to the IT industry group TasICT on Monday evening, Morrow added that the rollout schedules announced by the previous government had …

[tkioz]

Yeah because that worked *so* well when they deployed cable in rural areas back in the 90s didn't it...

Oh wait sorry, I forgot, they finished the capitol cities and stopped bothering.

[LaeMing]

Yes, I think the point was to make sure the 'outback'* actually got some attention /before/ anyone had a chance to renig on the deal.

Ah well, best laid plans, etc.

* Anywhere that isn't a state capital.

[Neoc]

@tkioz: "they finished the capitol cities and stopped bothering."

Really? News to me - I moved several times around Brisbane's suburbs and not once was I in a suburb which had cable.

[tkioz]

@ Neoc

Sorry, I should have said Melbourne and Sydney, but the point still stands. I remember everyone chattering and claiming that soon "everyone will have cable" and then somehow the rollout stopped when they finished those cities, leaving most of the country needing bloody satellite dishes if they wanted PayTV and ADSL for fast internet... when they bothered installing it.

Since then a handful of small companies have done a handful of cities, but part of the reason I supported the NBN was the idea that the 'bush' (to those in Melbourne that means anything outside Geelong) would get it first so they couldn't pull a repeat of the cable crap.

[P. Lee]

Doing one tech was too hard. We're going to try doing lots of techs instead?

[Andrew Punch]

The Outback gets the most benefit

but don't vote Labor. Silly Labor for actually putting the country first.

Even areas like the Central Coast north of Sydney have terrible internet speed and reliability.

[aberglas]

Most city people do not actually want the NBN

That was the experience in Hobart, were only about 30% of people subscribed even though it was free. That is why Labor had to pay billions to Telstra to cut the copper to force people onto the NBN.

Meanwhile, in the bush (and some city black spots) people are screaming for broadband. Forget NBN, forget tens of megabits. Just any sort of broadband that is better than dial up.