NBN Co, govt called to release more details on rollout

26/06/2012 - The federal government and the builder of the national broadband network (NBN) have been told to release more details on the rollout of the $36 billion project.

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A joint parliamentary committee which looks at the NBN made 15 recommendations in its third report into the rollout of the network released in Canberra on Monday.

Among the recommendations are calls for details of the network's business plan against figures of actual homes passed, homes connected and services in operation.

The committee wants network builder NBN Co to provide the costs of extending the planned fibre rollout and its processes for communities in fixed wireless and satellite service areas.

NBN Co should also name the major skills and workers needed for the rollout, to aid future planning for jobs in the sector.

The committee said community consultation and education on when and how to connect, and the potential benefit of the NBN for regional and remote areas had not been effective.

Under the Labor government, NBN Co is set to deliver high-speed fibre optic cable broadband to 93 per cent of homes, schools and businesses by 2021, four per cent by fixed wireless and the rest by satellite services.

Committee member and opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull said the government should expand its brief to consider more prudent ways to invest its capital and cut the overall cost of the network.

The coalition's proposal for a NBN would involve a cheaper fibre-to-the-node (or corner) rollout, instead of Labor's fibre-to-the-premises program.

Turnbull also said the government and NBN Co should cut spending on advertising unless it could be shown as providing value for money to taxpayers.

NBN Co's total advertising spend in 2011/12 was $8.12 million.

Source: AAP

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Have your say...

Pat | 26/06/2012 09:38 1

For all the expenditure of tax payers funds that's involved in this exercise. I cannot believe the lack of oversight and the resistence by government to any sort of scrutiny. This worries me deeply. And the fact that anyone who questions any aspect of it, is immediately vilified by the government is indicitive to me of people who have something to hide. WHATS GOING ON,,,, we have a right to know.

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