Schoolmaster Billson chastises Conroy

Shadow Communications Minister Bruce Billson has presented a satirical prize to his Labor counterpart Stephen Conroy, citing his achievement of topping a "Breaking Broadband Promises" class.

Billson's prize to Conroy

Billson gave Conroy plaudits for exceptional pushing back of deadlines. The shadow communications minister said Conroy had named June 2008 as the deadline for selecting a builder for the national broadband network in December last year, but had then delayed the initiative.

Billson classed the odds of Conroy's promise that construction would start by the end of the year coming true as "most unlikely". He also praised Conroy's air of mystery around the likely total cost of the network, as well as his tight-lipped stance on regulatory issues.

The bottom of the document prominently features a star proclaiming a "100 per cent broken promise" on Conroy's part.

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Talkback 77 comments

  1. Keep NBN Australian owned. Sydney Lawrence -- 25/07/08

    Cut the crap Billson at least Senator Conroy didn't offer a foreign owned company one billion dollars to oppose an Australian company.

    Please Senator Conroy don't be fooled by all the smoke screens and mirrors that the tricksters use and let Australia's Telstra quickly build the NBN for our Nation.

    1. Say NO to Telstra! Anonymous -- 25/07/08

      The only way to have a competitive and consumer friendly NBN is to pass on Telstra, or to separate it. Telstra has a long history if anti-competitive behaviour, poor customer service, and high prices - Can we afford to let them continue the trend?

      As for Conroy....he's slipping quickly into Coonan territory. He promised to be the saviour for Oz telecoms, but now he's flipping and flopping like a waterless carp. Time to get off the soapbox and get your hands dirty Senator!

    2. "Tierras motives" Anonymous -- 29/07/08

      Terria is not seriously in there to compete but to only hold up the process for their SINGTEL masters. This is at the behest of the country as a whole. Move over & let Telstra start building for the future now!!!

    3. How about some facts Syd TelstraSpinMakesMeDizzy -- 25/07/08

      Sigh, poor old Sydney is still peddling his NWAT propaganda and trying to pass it off as fact. The previous govt didnt "offer" a foreign owned company anything. OPEL (50% Optus + 50% AUSTRALIAN OWNED Elders) won the conract by putting in the best tender. Telstra chose to put in a non compliant tender (which shows its true contempt for servicing those underserved areas). The only one Telstra has to blame for losing is Telstra. Now, I know you will reply with some factless xenophobic rant Sydney, but please try and refrain from the xenophobia and stick to facts.

    4. True blue? Sydney Lawrence -- 25/07/08

      TelstraSpinMakes Me Dizzy here are the facts. Coonan did offer the gift (via the Australian taxpayer)of five hundred million dollars to Optus that would have gone straight to the bottom line of the Singapore owned telco. I know you Anti Telstra people are desperate to restrict Telstra for your own financial advantage but it amazes me that Australians can desert their country for personal gain. Where is the Anzac spirit?

    5. Sydney, you make me sick. Anonymous -- 25/07/08

      Anzac spirit? True Blue? What a load of tripe.

      How about the gutless people who support a ONCE great Australian company for nothing but their hip pocket? The gutless people who ignore the plight of Australian mums and dads who are sick of being ripped off by a company who only cares about how they can screw the consumer over for this week? The gutless people who do nothing but scream xenophobic comments in order to stir up fear and uncertaintly in the debate? The gutless people who refuse to operate their company with the best interests of Australia at heart?

      Sydney, you Sir, are an arse. Take your waffle and stick it back on NWAT where it belongs.

    6. Can you clarify well? -- 26/07/08

      You could be talking about the supermarkets, the oil companies, the mining companies, retailers in general, trucking companies, airlines, hotels, insurance companies and how can we miss the catholic church.

    7. Sydney IS AN ARSE HOLE SkyKing20 -- 26/07/08

      Well said Anonymous, I too am sick of Sydney's one-eyed NWAT propaganda.

      Sydney how dare you refer to Telstra in the same vein as the Anzac's or to "True Aussie fair dinkim"

      You should be taken out and shot for making that comparison. Telstra lost it's Australian citizenship years ago and is nothing but a GREEDY CAPITALIST corporation eye gouging Australia and the Australian People.

    8. @skyking20 Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      i dont think the ****3n comment will get reported, because its obviously true. skyking20 is obviously just stirring ***t and is indeed what you have said he is . sometimes the truth hurts skyking you dh.

    9. @sydney you make me sick Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      gutless people you say and then your too gutless to put your name to your own comments lmao. this sydney character must be an arse, youd know because you are nesteled in between 2 butt cheeks arent you gutless anus.

    10. Sydney changes the "facts" SydneysSpinMakesMeDizzy -- 25/07/08

      Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. They ARENT the facts. So now Optus gets $500 million, not a billion. I thought your posts were based on facts. How can you change them when you want if they are facts? The very simple fact is that OPEL won the tender with the best proposal. you can try and make all the xenophobic excuses and try and obfuscate it as much as you like, but it wont change the fact. OPEL won. Telstra didnt make the first round because they couldnt be bothered putting in a compliant bid. Ouch!! I know that hurts you to hear Sydney, but dems da facts, Jack!
      As for restricting Telstra for my own financial advantage, I can only assume you mean that I want to seem competition flourish. That is ,after all the only way I will get a financial advantage. Unlike you I am not motivated as a shareholder of a company desperate to become a monopoly and kill off competition. You really need to see that those promoting competition are actually the good guys Sydney and that it is competitors that have been driving the sector forward INSPITE OF TELSTRAs attempt to hinder them at every turn.
      So Sydney, leave out the altruistic "patriotism" and xenophobic BS and try and stick to the actual facts in future and not the Sydney/NWAT edited versions.

    11. Buy Australian. Sydney Lawrence -- 25/07/08

      DizzyFromSpin here is another fact. The profits from Telstra remain in Australia for the benefit of all Australians. The Optus profits go straight back to Singapore and you can't deny this!

    12. ...and the rest Anonymous -- 25/07/08

      What about the 20% of Telstra that is foreign owned and the massive payouts to the American executives? How easily we dismiss those "facts" Sydney.

      You continue to focus on Optus, but what about the scores of other Australian owned ISPs operating in Australia? You conveniently leave them out to run your propaganda campaign for the Telstra hierachy.

      The NBN needs to be built and operated for the benefit of Australian consumers, not Telstra shareholders. Sure, they have to make a profit, but with its current pricing stuctures Telstra is up there with fuel and supermarkets.

    13. Australians all let us unite. Sydney Lawrence -- 25/07/08

      I am not running a campaign for the Telstra hierarchy but for the 35 thousand Australian Telstra employees, the 1,600,000 Australian owners of Telstra and every man, woman and child in Australia who has a financial interest in Telstra through their ownership of Telstra shares held for them in the Future Fund. Oh, and also the millions of workers who have investment in Telstra via their Superannuation schemes

    14. Former Worker Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      Sydney, 35,000 employers and decreasing and if you think Sol and his buddies care about its workers you are deluded, and we all know what the board thinks of its shareholders.

    15. Good riddance, they wouldn’t want you back Carlos -- 26/07/08

      Did you get a nice redundancy or did you quit to go somewhere else?

      Any company that implements efficiency work practices will reduce their head count in many areas.

      Telstra was government run (and we all know how efficient they are). Now Telstra is a private company and manages things very differently.

      At their peak there was 110,000 employees, all work was done in house and as such there was 110,000 people working in the telecommunications industry.

      Today there are 35,000 direct employees, about 10,000 full time equivalent contract staff, over 20,000 dealers and retail staff that represent Telstra plus many other people that have a job because Telstra outsourcing within Australia. Once you also add all of the other competing companies then you will reach about 250,000 people that have a job because of this industry.

      As you improve efficiencies while at the same time losing market share you will obviously shed staff numbers and we can not forget that at the same time your competitors will add staff numbers. Stop pretending that the fact that 1 in every 500 men, women or children in this country work for Telstra is a bad thing.

      As for the CEO he has a specific goal at hand; Telstra is not like most companies who may have the same CEO for 20 years, Telstra has had CEO's brought in to perform a specific task from shedding numbers to softening up for deregulation to permitting major business losses in the name of competition to being a government stooge and new there is one who is here to see the company break away from the old shackles and prepare for the brave new world. He may give the impression that he doesn't care because he is not bowing to everyone's whims but if he was to replicate what his predecessors did Telstra will never change from the fat tired old politically motivated company it was.

      And finally the Telstra board, does anyone even know who is on the board and also would you be able to name the board of any of Australia's top 10 companies? It's easy to use a stupid throw away line but there is no substance to that line but what do you expect from a fat tired old politically motivated loser who wishes to remain anonymous.

    16. @former worker Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      if you were made redundant you are the victim of regulations. remove regulations which take from the incumbent to hand to the accessers and what happens, there's more work for the incumbents workforce and more employees needed. you want competition, you got competition and competition has made you obsolete. so stop complaning, its what you wanted

    17. "True Competition" Anonymous -- 11/08/08

      Yeh mate by what he really means is "True Competition" not the stuff the ACCC rolls out for OPTUS's free ride!!

    18. Future Fund Matt Samson -- 27/07/08

      Sydney, you said this: "and every man, woman and child in Australia who has a financial interest in Telstra through their ownership of Telstra shares held for them in the Future Fund"....

      Just shows how little you actually know. In fact, the FUTURE FUND was created to help pay the pensions of the PUBLIC SERVICE, not every Australian. So unless you were or are a Commonwealth (Federal for a silly person like you who doesn't understand) Public Servant, you have ZERO interest in the shares held by the Future Fund.

      The Future Fund is under no obligation to hold onto the Telstra shares. In fact, they have likely sold quite a lot of them in order to buy shares in other companies and invest in risk like any other super fund.

    19. @future fund Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      perhaps it was super rather than ff which sydney is referring to. then the argument is quite valid

    20. @future fund Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      also matt for a silly person like you who doesn't understand anything, as the future fund is there to cover for the public servants, this money wont then have to come from elsewhere, meaning funds wont have to be taken from roads, hospitals and education to pay this debt. so in a way sydney way correct, we will all benefit both through the future fund and super.

    21. Let's see StupidDizzyHasSpunSoMuchHisBrainIsScrambled -- 25/07/08

      There are 20 US executives, $25M for Sol and $2M for the others on average making $48M in total, take out 40% in tax you are left with about $30M.

      Telstra has 20% maximum foreign ownership meaning if they won the NBN and made $1.8B in profit (using everyone's 18% profit margin claim of $10B to build) from it, they would pay about 3c extra in dividends (6c per year) meaning around $1.2B would be paid out, 20% of this would be $240M.

      Combined that would make $270M sent overseas.

      Using 10% margin for the Optus bid where Optus would have 50% of the ownership; there would be $1B in profit or $500M going to the 100% owners who are Singtel. If we add the overseas executives in Optus I am sure there would be at least an additional $10M there as well.

      Telstra seems to keep more money in this country from what I can see

    22. Telstra Australian? Simon -- 11/08/08

      If Telstra is so patriotic, how much of it's capex did they spend in Australia? How many billions went to good friend Chambers and his old pals at Bain? There are many great Aussie consultancy groups, but how many were engaged by Telstra? Same can be said of provisioning phones and software development. Would not a respected and patriotic Australian company utilise Australian services at every opporrtunity?

    23. Challenge Simon Anonymous -- 11/08/08

      Find one telecommunications company that has engaged any major Australian consultant for a project that will impact the entire company in the past few years.

      Actually I will make it even easier, name any telecommunications or to 50 Australian company that has done this.

      I know there will be no response that answers the question, reason being is that there are almost none and there is no other company analysed as heavily as Telstra meaning it would not be known to the public anyway.

    24. Challenge Simon -- 15/08/08

      Well, Gen-i/TCNZA used several Australian consultant groups. I also know that AMP/CBA/Westpac all use Aust specialist consultants. Westfield, Boral and Energy Aust use locals. These are the only ones I have direct knowledge of using local talent but I am sure many other top 50 do as well.
      As for no other company being analysed as heavily as tesltra, you must be kidding? How about CBA for starters?

    25. @telstra Anonymous -- 12/08/08

      ok so dont whinge when your i.t job goes off shore then.

    26. @sydney changes Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      spinmakesmedizzy just get over that big bad bruem guy who showed your idiotic comments on nwat for what they were, the words of an idiot

    27. @sydney changes Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      spin changes the facts. so you now accept the revised $500 mil claim as this went to singapores optus/singtel but didn't you say the government didnt offer any foreign company anything. yeah,opel did win but dont stop there tell us more about this obvious opel success story. im sure all these telstra shareholders would love some of this wonderful opel action to. so then what happened with opel haha. why dont you leave your granstanding bs back at tttt hq and try to stick to the facts in future. just because that big bad mr breum made you look even more foolish than you even are, no need to lie.

    28. "True Competition" Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      Sydney is honest in his love for his country. Unlike you foreign owned SINGTEL lovers fanboys. Stick to ya guns mate!!!

      What this country needs is true competition not the regulated stuff OPTUS loves to sponge off!!!

    29. True Competition. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      Competition in economics is a term that encompasses the notion of individuals and firms striving for a greater share of a market to sell or buy goods and services. Merriam-Webster defines competition in business as "the effort of two or more parties acting independently to secure the business of a third party by offering the most favorable terms." Seen as the pillar of capitalism in that it may stimulate innovation, encourage efficiency, or drive down prices, competition is touted as the foundation upon which capitalism is justified. According to microeconomic theory, no system of resource allocation is more efficient than pure competition. Competition, according to the theory, causes commercial firms to develop new products, services, and technologies. This gives consumers greater selection and better products. The greater selection typically causes lower prices for the products compared to what the price would be if there was no competition (monopoly) or little competition (oligopoly).

    30. You must be kidding Syd Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      "Where is the Anzac spirit?"

      Rolling in it's grave when we put the financial wellbeing of a privately owned company (Telstra in case you would make believe I'm talking about Optus...) before the commonwealth of the Australian people.

      Opel would have delivered a competitive option (competition causes prices to decrese) for the rural/regional residents who work to produce food, coal, exportable natural wealth etc.

      So Conroy sank a concept ready to roll out and instead insists on this abortion of an RFP. I don't disagree that this time is needed, just that Conroy fumbled from the word go promising it so early and scamming Australians out of a product ready to be rolled out as soon as the check was handed over.

      So now we have Australians left to wait for possibly years for a solution instead of getting it this year.

      RIP the Anzac spirit, because the Yanks have taken over and apologists such as you Sydney are trying to convince us being made over in the image of the US is a good thing.

      Shame shame shame as Hinch would say.

    31. @you must be kidding Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      shame shame shame. that guys like you say telstra is a privately owned company when it suits, but then also like to bring out the old taxpayer funded and shouldn't be treated like a private company when that suits.

    32. Get it Right. Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      It was a 50:50 joint venture between Optus and Elders.

      Elders Limited is an Australian based agribusiness company.

      They were going to build a network, that would help regional Australia. There was a RFP process and the joint venture proposal from Elders and Optus won.

      Now there is going to be an NBN, re-building were there is already infrasture in metropoltian areas.
      This NBN does not care for the bush. Elders did!

    33. Too True! Whatver -- 26/07/08

      I agree wholeheartedly!

      The main issue with our current access to broadband in this country is the 'tyranny of distance' - the biggest victims of which are our outback cousins.

      The OPEL project was going to provide a viable and cost-effective solution to this problem WITHOUT making the existing network redundant.

      Now before anyone elects to criticise WiMax as a viable delivery method - how come Internode (an ISP mind you - not a Carrier) can get it to work so effectively in South Australia? Moreso, Internode is planning to continue their rollout, despite Conroy trashing the OPEL project!

      My point is this: Why re-invent the wheel when a viable and less costly viable solution exists? The answer is simple: Stephen and the Rudd government have an election promise / marker due and are going to honour it, even if it means selecting an inferior option.

    34. You use Internode as a reference For sure ... Whaterver -- 26/07/08

      Could anyone trust any comments or decisions made by that Hack Simon. One loser company makes a positive comment about WiMax and you believe it, 20 global and local companies state that is is flawed and you won't.

      I can't wait until Simon Crackett turns around in 12 months and blames Telstra for changing the characteristics of the air or that the shared public frequency WiMax runs on is unreliable because microwaves and cordless phones can wreak havoc on the reception.

    35. WiMAX Matt Samson -- 27/07/08

      For sure ... Whaterver, you show your ignorance as well.

      Internode is not using "public" spectrum to deliver its FIXED WiMAX service.

      WiMAX performs very well as a FIXED broadband solution. The failures that have happened with other companies are due to them deploying MOBILE WiMAX... Very different.

      OPEL was not going to use public spectrum either (do catch up on the news). OPEL purchased AUSTAR's private spectrum which would have been used instead of public spectrum. Did you miss that news or something?

    36. Your ignorance Matt Someone -- 27/07/08

      Opel was trying to buy the spectrum, the price was not acceptable and they were not willing to negotiate. There were news stories of them getting the government to help acquire the spectrum for them at a much lower cost then the true value. I like the way you specify FIXED, this is no different then what Unwired has offered for a ling time and we all know how many black spots they had across the major cities let alone the bush.

    37. FIXED WiMAX SkyKing20 -- 27/07/08

      "Someone" try telling that to all the happy FIXED WiMAX customers on the York Peninsula that now have steady/rock solid broadband (6mbits and climbing) at city/metro prices all thanks to Internode. And those same FIXED WiMAX customers happily gave Telstra the flick/disconnected their overly expensive/very low quota/very high excessive per MB rates/uploads counted of their NextG Telstra service.

      Who says FIXED WiMAX doesn't work well because it does.

    38. hOPELess crap!! Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      The Taxpayer was the winner here by not being fleeced of 1 Billion dollars going to a foreign owned Singtel/Optus!!

    39. Yeah they cared but so what!! Another anonymous posting -- 26/07/08

      The farmers also care about the bush but do they know how to build a communications network? As you said it yourself they are an agribusiness!!!

      I don't see what's wrong with the above comment, "Optus would have 50% of the ownership" is the same as saying "It was a 50:50 joint venture between Optus and Elders"

      Loser!

    40. Calm down. Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      No need to result in name calling, what about the other points made...

      They cared for the bush, meaning that the infrastructure was going to be built in regional Australia.
      As said metropolitan areas don't need this NBN, the areas where the NBN is going to be built; is going to be the areas where it is not needed.

      "As you said it yourself they are an agribusiness!!!"
      Um, businesses can hire people... Businesses can also diversify.

      "If we add the overseas executives in Optus I am sure there would be at least an additional $10M there as well."
      Telstra's CEO is American...

    41. Missed one point Ronald -- 27/07/08

      Businesses are out to make a profit.

      Would you trust you children at a preschool that is run by professional and experienced carers or with a bunch of construction workers who may mean to do well but have no experience?

      How about we get Sydney Water to build the NBN? They have a lot of experience in building infrastructure, they may want to diversify.

    42. Different targets. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      "Businesses are out to make a profit."
      True.

      "Would you trust you children at a preschool that is run by professional and experienced carers or with a bunch of construction workers who may mean to do well but have no experience?"
      No, I wouldn't that's why you hire the professionals... Optus was to be contracted to build the network, OPEL Networks was to operate its network on behalf of its owners Optus and Elders, offering wholesale services back to them as customers, as well as to other third-party broadband retailers. Elders intended to enter the telecommunications market by selling OPEL services from its existing retail channels.

      "How about we get Sydney Water to build the NBN? They have a lot of experience in building infrastructure, they may want to diversify."
      Wrong type of infrastructure but if they had a proper business case, to do the NBN and they believed they could get a significant ROI. Then I'm sure they would contract the professionals to do the work or partner with another company that has experience in the telecommunications industry.

    43. Success of NBN Peeved Off -- 29/07/08

      The success of the NBN is not about 2 bit ISP services and losers wanting to download music and porn on their high speed links. It is about providing content and much wider services. From my recollection the only time Optus got into any form of content delivery it failed and they sold their content to Foxtel to manage and then bought it back. As for Elders' retail channels, are you willing to trust a checkout clerk to buy you communications services from them?

      Every solid argument will spawn 50 inferior counterclaims and opposing arguments to try and make the first look bad. This is probably why the anti-Telstra brigade seem to be so vocal.

    44. @get it right Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      elders management couldn't get out door quick enough when the 2 got together tho, hehe.

    45. Lol your a Joke Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      Hi Lawrence from Sydney.

      Think your a joke. Least the $1 billion would of provided a new market of services that aren't from Telstra. Would of least had some descent competitive pricing on the market by now.

      And you say Keep NBN Australia Owned? Pfft, the frigen CEO aint even from Australia. You probably mean Keep NBN American Owned.

      Yeah let Telstra build It and lets have WORLD CLASS pricing of $90 dollars for a 12Mbit connection with 200megabytes.

    46. American, who gives a flying **** Ronald -- 27/07/08

      You all seem to care about an American manager, that is all he is a manager of the company who is appointed to do a job. He does not own the company, he does not take shares with him other then those that he may have bought with his salary. Yes $25M is a lot compared to you and I but then again a manage 12 people and earn $150,000, he manages 35,000 people. Sometime between now and 2013 he will leave and someone else will join and they may be from Perth, New Zealand or Iran and that applies to 90% of major companies out there. In the case of Optus they are 100% owned by a foreign company and even if Singtel was to get an Australian CEO earning $50M that is all that they would ever get. The difference in Australia is we are free to hire anyone we want, the law in Singapore is the person MUST be a Singaporean national.

      Let anyone build the network but let them build it correctly, the retail price will be determined by many factors including:
      FTTN Infrastructure costs and wholesale margins, this will be about $25 - $35 per service.
      Wholesale margins of about $5 - $10
      ULL costs for the last 500meters or so which are set by the ACCC at about $3 to $7.
      Retail packaged product costs from $10 for a very basic service to $70 for TV and others.
      Retail profits $2 - $30 depending on the package.

      There is a thing called scaremongering and throwing $90 with 200MB, claiming the CEO will take our profits with him and the likes seem to be the only way most of you can formulate your argument.

    47. osullivan Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      isnt optus osullivan irish? thats ok though as long as hes not a yank and named sol.

    48. Foreign Company? Matt Samson -- 27/07/08

      So Elders is a foreign owned company? I mean they were also part of the OPEL bid (OPEL standing for OPTUS ELDERS).

      I doubt you knew that though.

    49. OPTUS/SINGTEL Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      OPTUS is foreign owned bright spark by SINGTEL!!

    50. Why? Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      Everybody knows that, it gets paraded around a lot.

      The comment you replied to does not state Optus is not owned by SingTel.
      Also quick fact, OPEL Networks was a 50:50 joint venture; so don't forget Elders.

    51. @why? Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      its now a 0%:0% no matter where they are from haha

    52. Yes. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      That is true; now lets just hope the NBN is done right.

  2. waste of money Anonymous -- 26/07/08

    what is with the "national broadband network" most australians already have access to fast broadband connections that are faster then the proposed minimum of 12Mbps. (think adsl2+ which is available in most cities). why should the majority of us pay 4.7 billion dollars to subsidize the minority who live in rural communities.
    in fact, if this new network is implemented, the majority of us who already have adsl2+ will have to pay much more for the same data allowance with no improvement in speeds, if not lesser
    and those people who blame telstra for all that monopolistic crap and high pricing for businesses and consumers, what telstra didn't? one thing people often look over when bashing telstra, is that if telstra was actually competitive (which is restricted by legislation by the government), it would effectively destroy all of it's competitors, as their consumer prices form undercut their competitors' prices (they are just resellers of telstra's wholesale prices)

    1. So true. Anonymous -- 26/07/08

      Building new infrastructure in metropolitan areas, even though there is no need to.

      All that was needed was OPEL. This implementation of infrastructure would have filled the black spots and helped competition where there is none.

      I just can't wait for when Optus takes the government to court for this idiotic decision.

    2. Black Spots Ronald -- 27/07/08

      The Opel solution would not have addressed people who can get ADSL but at only 1.5Mbps.

      The black spots you talk about would have accounted for about 7% of the population that can not get 256Kbps or better today.

      $1B for 7% v $4.7B for 98% at a guaranteed 12Mbps, I know what I would want.

    3. Percentages. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      Um, that 7% is the only people that need government assistance. The locations that have a proven market for future investment by Telecommunications companies are the other 93% and I'm sure that with the competition that is already there, development would continue.

      ADSL2+ implemented by competitors of Telstra, after that implementation Telstra makes ADSL2+ available to customers. Smaller companies innovating to get more market share will continue.

    4. Golden soil and wealth for toil. Sydney Lawence -- 27/07/08

      The intense diabolical abuse directed at those who support Telstra is an encouragement that the small band of Anti Telstra fanatics, who fear Telstra and are desperate to have the freeload on Telstra equipment continue, are becoming increasingly fearful that the end for them is near.

      Hurtful to me, is the fact that to achieve their own greedy aims they will sell Australia short to the advantage of overseas companies. The contribution and support that Telstra gives to Australia via charities and sporting institutions alone, gains my and many of my fellow Australians support.

    5. Fanatic Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      The comment you replied to, does not criticise Telstra...

    6. Telstra gives to Australia via charities and sporting institutions SkyKing20 -- 27/07/08

      The only reason that Telstra sponsors charities and sporting institutions is purely for marketing purposes to promote their products. And those same marketing costs are then passed on to the consumer in higher priced retail products.

      Telstra don't support anything out of good will and anyone with half a brain knows that. In fact I get really annoyed how Telstra uses "spin marketing" to the Australian people to make it look like they (Telstra) are so generous/charitable/good willed when they are not.

      As for your comment "the small band of Anti Telstra fanatics, who fear Telstra and are desperate to have the freeload on Telstra equipment continue, are becoming increasingly fearful that the end for them is near.", we shall have to wait and see won't we, but rest assured that as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow Telstra are not/will not get anywhere near their own way if they get the green light to build the NBN.

      They will have to compromise a great deal/give up many of their demands to win the NBN. And if they don't someone else will build the NBN and life will go on without Telstra. Telstra is a dinosaur and we all know what happened to them, things change and Telstra has to change also if it is to survive.

    7. @telstra gives Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      tell us how much you donate then skyking20 you dh

    8. Only buy Ozzie Davo -- 11/08/08

      Sydney is right, anyone who buys non-oz is letting down this great country and should just leave. The ACCC is conspiring with the foreign govts to block Telstra and send the profits overseas. The enemy is Singapore, US, China and Europe. They are stealing our money, not Telstra. Support Australia and only buy from Australian companies. Like Sydney, you should only buy Australian - this goes for cars, PCs, software, food and telecoms.

    9. opel were a joke thats why they got the flick Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      opel were a joke thats why they got the flick its not hard for anyone with a brain to understand. so you just keep believing in your own feeble little minds how great they would have been

    10. Explain. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

      Can you please explain it to me?

  3. NBN Submissions. Anonymous -- 27/07/08

    Conroy, I hope you analysing the submissions below.

    http://www.dcita.gov.au/communications_for_business/funding_programs__and__support/request_for_submissions_on_regulatory_issues/submissions/Axia_NetMedia.pdf
    http://www.dcita.gov.au/communications_for_business/funding_programs__and__support/request_for_submissions_on_regulatory_issues/submissions/BT_Australia.pdf

  4. Why I don't want Telstra to win Anonymous -- 28/07/08

    Let's just take a comparison of a typical internet plan:
    Bigpond Liberty 25GB - $99.95/month
    iiNet Home 3 with bundled VOIP 10GB peak/20GB off-peak - $59.90/month

    So iiNet's plan is $40/month cheaper, includes VOIP for cheaper phone calls, doesn't count uploads towards the quota and you can have a home phone with any provider.

    1. And... Anonymous -- 28/07/08

      Not to mention it includes 5GB more total quota per month.

      The personal saving of $40/month is a hell of a lot more valuable than any marginal increase in my super through increased Telstra share value.

    2. And ... Peeved Off -- 29/07/08

      Only available if you are in a profitable iiNut area, at least big puddle is available to every location that can get access. I had to go to another company because iiNot would not sell me a service because I was outside of their serviced locations (40 km drive north from Sydney CBD).

  5. Telstra Shareholders Eric -- 28/07/08

    Mr Lawrence, I am a Telstra shareholder and I wouldnt let Telstra put in a tin can and string. Telstra is the most arrogant and manipulative big corporation I have had dealings with. They should be broken up and the infrastructure given back to the people who put it there in the first place!

    1. More Anti Telstra Whingers Anonymous -- 28/07/08

      Better being a Telstra shareholder mate than licking up to the SINGTEL Govt!!

      Go to whingepool & whinge with the other Anti Telstra whingers....you'll be happy there living in your own little happy place.....or the place of broken dreams..... they are still whingeing about hOPELess!! LOL

    2. And you can go to NWAT Anonymous -- 28/07/08

      Yes, I'll go to Whirlpool with its 239,000 registered members and you can go to NWAT with its 4 regulars LOL

    3. @and you can go Anonymous -- 29/07/08

      so go to hackettpool with the other 239k geek losers who have no no idea about anything except pc, mac, speeds, downloads, some stupid kids game and porn, while the other 21m aussies will continue our real lives, haha

    4. A Fool and his money are soon parted. Sydney Lawrence -- 28/07/08

      Eric with due respect you are a shocker of an investor and hope you do not advise others to follow your loser lead.

    5. @telstra shareholders Anonymous -- 29/07/08

      no wonder your portfolio is in the red, the way you speak so lowly of a company *you own part of*. i am NOT a shareholder of telstra, or any other comms company, but if i were i'd at least have enough brains to support them. not promote *giving my property to the people* for my investment to then be worthless.

    6. quality v's quantity Peeved Off -- 29/07/08

      I would trust 4 NWAT's then the likes of those at wankpool you all love to support all these companies that will not lift a finger if you are not in a profitable area. see above comment.

    7. Split it up!! Anonymous -- 20/08/08

      If Telstras such an awesome aussie company, how come they dont give anything for free to aussies, espcially those in need? (and can we please leave out the marketing divisions 'children fund'), seriously, i dont think the majority of aussies care who provides their voice/data, as long as they're doing it fairly and a value for money... a question though, Would the shareholders of telstra mind it been split up if they where properly compensated for the costs? only the smart ones who realized there cash cow just got slaughtered.

      Telstras the only one who can build the NBN, but 18% return is arrogant and unreasonable, optus is to inept and doesnt have the techs to build it...

      Perhaps the Gov should just create a new NBN public utility and pay telstra the cash to build it?

    8. split Telstra Anonymous -- 24/09/08

      Yes.
      Create an NBN public utility and pay Telstra to build the NBN.

      I don't think the government has to own it - but it needs to be able to put huge shackles on it, while freeing Telstra and all the competitive Telcos to go off and compete.

      The other choice involves splitting Telstra. Take a look at Optus when doing that - Optus currently has many customers of all types, a retail chain, its own mobile network, fibre across the country and between exchanges, a cable network, and dslams and phone equipment located in many exchanges (connected to copper run through street conduits to the home). If Telstra is split then it should keep everything that Optus has an equivalent of - it's only the unique monopoly bits (eg: exchange, copper, conduits, RIMs) that should be separated.
      ... That's the only fair way of splitting Telstra and keeping as much competition as possible.

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