NBN rollout examination welcome

Launceston, TAS, 23 October 2017 – Digital Tasmania has today welcomed an in-depth
examination of the National Broadband Network project on ABC’s flagship investigative program, 4
Corners . For some years, this major infrastructure project has lacked coverage at a time when it
changed from a majority Fibre rollout to a bastardised mix of 6-7 technologies where some consumers
are waiting even longer for a connection than before.

It is expected that the 4 Corners program will highlight the inequity of connection options that exist
between neighbouring towns, suburbs or even streets where one area may have Fibre to the
Premises (FTTP) and the next area may have a second rate copper-based service or nothing at all
due to rollout delays or coverage black holes.

Digital Tasmania Spokesperson Andrew Connor said “The pre-emptive response to the 4 Corners
program by NBN Co and the Federal Government to detail the most expensive fibre rollouts for
individual premises (many of which are in Tasmania) and call for restrictions on competition is a
desperate move to save face on their current rollout mess.”

Mr Connor continued “The NBN is a basic infrastructure project run by a government-owned
company, its first priority should be to successfully connect all premises in Australia to reliable
broadband services ahead of turning a profit. If further investment is required in the NBN Company to
complete the rollout it should be written-off for the public good just as investments are in other
community assets like schools, roads and hospitals.”

Digital Tasmania makes the following points:

● Everyone deserves the same connection as others in their area no matter the cost.

● Everyone in urban and townships areas across Tasmania would be better served with
future-proofed fibre than unreliable copper connections.

● The “blowout” on individual install costs are symptomatic of having excessive layers of
contractors, sub-contractors, asset owners involved in addition to NBNCo itself.

● High cost individual installations still form part of the average cost which means many are well
below average.

● Average costs for each rollout technology have become politicised with Fibre to the Premises
inflated against Fibre to the Node (Copper) to make the latter look more attractive.

● If a majority Fibre network had been continued, it’d be just as close to completion as the
current rollout because technology and process improvement would have reduced costs.

Digital Tasmania has supported the NBN project in its initial, majority-Fibre rollout method since
inception and believes this is the best way for all consumers to receive equitable and reliable access
to vital communications infrastructure.

Mr Connor concluded “Initially, up to 93% of Tasmanian premises would have received Fibre to the
Premises connections, today this figure stands at around 50% with urban areas North West Tasmania
and parts of the Greater Hobart missing out along with many townships.”

Digital Tasmania is a consumer action group, created in 2008 to give a voice to the views and needs
of Tasmanian consumers in the digital age.

www.digitaltasmania.org
Andrew Connor, Spokesperson, Digital Tasmania