Liberal expectations in NBN statement
The Federal Government has detailed its expectations for the National Broadband Network, and it is not asking for much.
The Coalition has given NBN Co its latest Statement of Expectations (PDF), which informed the company behind the roll-out that it wants a mix of technologies to be set up on no particular timetable and without strict cost analyses.
The government really only requires NBN Co to minimise disruption while doing the work it does actually undertake, and to achieve the roll-out of the “multi-technology mix” as soon and cost-effectively as possible.
It has removed an expectation for faster upload speeds, retaining just the requirement for all Australians to have access to a minimum download of 25Mbps before the network can be deemed to have been “rolled out”.
There was once an effort to have the NBN set up by 2016, but that optimistic timetable has now been replaced with the requirement that it be done “as soon as possible”.
There is still no cost-benefit analysis for the plan. This is despite the lack of such information being a constant talking point when Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull was in opposition.
The much-anticipated results of the analysis were the only remaining hope for proponents of high speed (including uploads) internet infrastructure. This was after the suggestion that if optical fibre to the home was deemed to be the best way forward, then it would be used.
Now it appears the best way forward is whichever is cheap and easy, as the plan rolls ahead uncosted.
Now that he is in charge, Mr Turnbull says NBN Co will be allowed to work out costs as it goes along, assessing region-by-region the cheapest way to give residents their minimum download speeds.
“The company has got to get on,” he said.
“The key point is you have the freedom to use the mix of technologies that suits the particular locations.”
The “mix of technologies” will be based on the existing infrastructure, which has been over-optimistically judged according to reports.