Media Statement - 21st May 2006
Today's Senate Estimates hearings have confirmed that Telstra's fibre to the node broadband plans currently being discussed with the ACCC are limited to the five mainland capital cities.
As it stands, major regional cities like Hobart, Newcastle, Ballarat and Townsville will all miss out on the dramatically increased broadband speeds made available over a fibre to the node network.
Smaller regional centres will also miss out.
It has been less than a year since the Howard government sold out regional Australia over the privatisation of Telstra and regional Australia is already falling behind.
Australian capital cities could soon have access to broadband as fast as 12mbps, while hundreds of thousands of Australians will still lack access to any affordable broadband at all.
Senator Coonan needs to explain why the Howard government is content to treat Australians in regional Australia as second class citizens.
The best Senator Coonan has so far been able to do for regional Australia is offer a wireless broadband service that will still leave hundreds of thousands of Australians in the cold and will only offer users a maximum of 1/6th the speed.
Labor has recognised the need for government leadership to deliver as near as possible to universal access to high speed broadband.
Kim Beazley has committed a Labor government to delivering a national fibre to the node network making a minimum 6mbps broadband available to 98% of Australians through a partnership between the government and an industry joint venture, harnessing public and private capital to deliver the network through a pro-competitive structure.
A Beazley Labor Government has made available the $2.7 billion needed to extend a fibre to the node network to the regions.
Labor has the vision to see the potential of near universal access to high speed broadband and the commitment to deliver the government leadership to deliver it.