Shadow Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has outlined what he’d do to the Government’s National Broadband Network if the Coalition took control at the next election.
In an in-depth interview with ARN, Turnbull said there was no way the Coalition would allow the NBN rollout to continue regardless of how much had been deployed.
“We don’t believe the Government should own this company,” he said. “We would seek to ensure the separated customer access network company is separately owned and that it becomes the provider of fibre that last mile infrastructure.”
Under Turnbull’s plan, all construction on the NBN would immediately stop and a detailed cost-benefit analysis would be completed. The Coalition would identify areas without adequate broadband and would aim to spend about $1-2 billion upgrading pair gain systems and RIMs.
“We’d identify those elements in the NBN infrastructure that should be maintained and integrated perhaps into the new separated network company and identify the areas that are deficient in terms of connectivity and prioritise them and make sure they are addressed,” he added.
Turnbull also claimed the independents were not holding the Government to account and said it would be difficult for the Government to survive 2011 with its “wafer-thin” majority in the House of Representatives.
