Australian Government Proposes a $43 Billion Fiber Network
Australian Government Proposes a $43 Billion Fiber Network
Posted 06/20/2010 at 1:43pm
| by Justin Kerr
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Australians have traditionally had to deal with pretty oppressive prices and bandwidth caps, but the government is looking to break up the monopoly, and bring true broadband to the masses. The $43 billion national project includes the $11 billion it will cost to buy out Telstra, the current landline and copper network operator, as well as the additional funds needed to roll out a fiber network.
The deal is still subject to regulatory approval, but pending this our friends over in Australia can expect to see speeds of up to 100Mbps to the home, and perhaps ditch some of the stingy bandwidth caps that government sees as holding back innovation. It's normal to feel cheated when Comcast teases you with a 250GB cap, but imagine if you had to contend with 10-20GB caps for the same price your paying today.
If the deal goes through Telstra won't be competing for wired customers anymore, but rumor has it they have been promised an opportunity to bid on some pretty valuable wireless spectrum as a trade off.
It looks like the government might actually be keeping its word for a change, consider us impressed.
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Havok
June 20, 2010 at 8:00pm
It angers me to no end when people complain about their 250 gig bandwidth caps. Up here in the chilly north of South-Eastern Ontario, Canada, I'm lucky to get 60 gigs, only if I pay an arm and a leg plus my firstborn child. I really feel for people who have even less bandwidth available.
YES! This post made it through the Spam Filter!
Craig-g
June 20, 2010 at 9:39pm
There is only one ISP provider where I am in regional australia. I pay $90 a month for 25GB. And they count uploads as well as downloads. I can go over 25GB for no extra cost, but I get my speed shaped to 64 kbps till the end of the month if I do.
Danthrax66
June 20, 2010 at 3:31pm
This is what we need here a government funded program that puts Americans to work laying fiber across the country just like we did with phone lines after that allow open access to all internet companies so we can pick and choose a service and pass net neutrality.
snapple00
June 20, 2010 at 3:10pm
"stingy bandwidth caps that government sees as holding back innovation"
I would really like to know what that even means. And the words "government" and "innovation" can not be used in the same sentence.
Nuxes
June 21, 2010 at 3:35pm
"And the words "government" and "innovation" can not be used in the same
sentence."Apollo, Manhattan Project, ARPAnet, ENIAC.... I guess you've never heard of these things.
COMMANDER_COOK
June 20, 2010 at 8:16pm
Many of the times that a government makes bad decisions that hold back innovation is because big corporations are telling them what to do.
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gendoikari1
June 20, 2010 at 2:11pm
What a waste. The Australian government's position on Internet censorship means $43 billion worth of fiber and nothing to use it on.
Danthrax66
June 20, 2010 at 3:29pm
They are planning on removing the censorship, probably because it cost too much but I think they said something about it not being the right thing to do or some other bs.
Craig-g
June 20, 2010 at 4:50pm
Really? First I've heard of it. Last I heard the Greens said they believe it's going to be shelved till after the election. But Conroy was still releasing statements saying it's going forward and he's just working out the details. While Kate Lundy was trying to organise the inhouse numbers to support an opt-in system.
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