Turnbull's YouTube video lampoons NBN rollout speed

04/07/2012 - Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has lampooned the rollout of the national broadband network (NBN) by poking fun at its support for Australia's newspaper industry.

Find related suppliers

Turnbull released a three-minute video on the YouTube website on Monday in which he took a swipe at the pace of the NBN's rollout, which put "an arthritic snail to shame".

On the video, Turnbull said he had come across a community information kit on the NBN.

Among its items were a folder, pens, USB sticks and special newspapers promoting the government's $36 billion project.

The newspapers showed the NBN was "absolutely committed" to the industry, he said.

"Far from being a threat, the NBN Co is going into the newspaper business," Turnbull said.

"Most of this box is filled with 350 copies of the NBN's own newspaper called Connecting Australia."

Referring to recent media reports that have suggested the government is considering a public interest test for media ownership, Turnbull said he was unsure if NBN Co boss Mike Quigley or communications minister Stephen Conroy would pass a public interest test for media proprietors.

He said the newspaper had a "distinct lack of balance" in its reports about the NBN.

"I can't see anything in here about them missing their forecasts or the blowout in costs and there is no mention of the criticisms I have been making about it," he said.

Under Labor's NBN, network builder NBN Co will roll out high-speed fibre optic broadband cable to 93 per cent of premises across Australia by 2021.

Around four per cent will receive broadband services via fixed wireless technology and three per cent will use satellite services by 2015.

The coalition's alternative NBN would be several years quicker in delivering not-as-fast broadband to Australians through a mix of technologies, Turnbull has said previously.

An analysis by investment bank Citigroup in November 2011 priced the coalition's plan at $16.7 billion.

Source: AAP

Browse the IndustrySearch directory: Computer Hardware & Technology

Have your say...

We welcome thoughtful comments from readers Comment Guidelines The approval of your comment is at the discretion of this article's publisher. Write your comment with the following in mind to ensure the highest likelihood of it being approved: - No promotional undertones - No use of profanity - Good spelling, grammar and layout - Check punctuation, language and missing words - No use of aggression - No unsubstantiated claims We reserve the right to remove comments at our discretion. Your name is used alongside Comments.
Name:
Email: