Abbott’s plan to burn the NBN and build roads (and why that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense), more NBN e-health and a drowned truck are all part of this week’s NBN wrap.
• Tony Abbott came out firing with a policy speech that derided the NBN as a $50 billion spend that “that people don’t need and don’t want to pay more for.” Abbott’s plan is to divert the NBN money into roadworks. [Liberal.org.au]
• Critics of Abbott’s plan pointed out that cutting the NBN would not, in fact, save money, because it’s not a budget expense line item at all; it’s expected to provide a return.[Delimiter & ZDNet]
• Down in Tasmania feathers are being ruffled regarding NBN wireless towers, although NBN Co states that it’ll use existing mobile telephony infrastructure where possible [Hobart Mercury]
• On the e-health front, the Government announced at $4.9 million, three-year fund to provide NBN-based services for children with hearing or vision impairment in regional and remote communities. [IT Wire]
• You know how Internet speeds can drop in heavy rain? The same is true of the NBN showcase truck, which was taken off the road due to a manufacturing fault that let a whole lot of water into its innards. [ZDNet]
• The army might go to war with the NBN… sort of. At least, it’s anticipated that the IT skills shortage may see defence department competing with NBN Co for skilled workers needed to lay out NBN cable and/or deploy critical defence projects. [ZDNet]
• Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester was accused of hypocrisy by Communications and Digital Economy Minister Stephen Conroy for complaining about the slow pace of NBN rollout in Gippsland based on the alternate policy that the Opposition is proposing. [Latrobe Valley Express]
• In sad news, one of the NBN’s harshest critics, Exetel CEO John Linton passed away. [Gizmodo]