NBN three year rollout announcement

Thank you to Hugh for hosting us and agreeing to MC today.

To:

- The Prime Minister;
- My Parliamentary colleagues:
- Minister Albanese; and
- Minister Plibersek; who also serves as the local Member;
- Mike Quigley;
- Distinguished guests;
- ladies and gentlemen. 

I welcome you all here today for what is a significant milestone in the life of the NBN.

Today we have announced the release of the 3 year roll out plan for the fibre to the premises component of the NBN.  

This announcement has been preceded by a lot of preparation work by the Government and NBN Co.  

This preparation ensures that what we are announcing will be delivered.  

The preparation included agreements between NBN Co, Telstra and the Government.  

These agreements give NBN Co access to Telstra’s pits and ducts.

By re-using existing infrastructure we are helping to reduce the disruption to communities as the network is rolled out. 

Importantly, the agreements will also deliver the historic structural separation of Telstra.

The simple fact is that our hundred year old copper network has served us well.  

Like the NBN, the copper network was rolled out by the Federal Government across the continent. 

But the copper network on which our telecommunications have relied now needs to be upgraded.  

The copper is strangling our economy.

The NBN is essential for our future.  But the NBN is just the platform. 

The NBN will allow SME's to cut their costs, and find new markets around the world. 

It will dramatically lower the barriers to entry for new businesses

Regardless of where they choose to live or do business.  

It will allow businesses of all sizes to access IT and business services that have previously only been affordable for large corporations. 

And businesses will be able to work from anywhere. 

High download and upload speeds over the NBN mean businesses can run bandwidth-hungry applications like:

- high-definition videoconferencing; and 
- data intensive cloud computing. 

Yet today using these applications is nothing but a pipe-dream for many businesses in city and country alike.

Getting this right means more jobs in regional Australia, and that is just what we want. 

In Midway Point Tasmania, sign writer David Jones struggled with the large digital files.

Files that the design industry depends on today. 

He had to use couriers to get files to and from his customers. 

But since being connected to the NBN, he can download and upload them in seconds. 

David says the change is like going from “walking around in sandshoes to driving a Ferrari.”

Australians who live and work outside our capital cities will be able to avoid hours of travelling by getting online with the NBN. 

Health services provided over the NBN will mean you can see a medical specialist across town or in another city.

All from your local doctor’s surgery or your home.  

Educational services online will mean our kids can get access to a world-class education.

Using the NBN, students in Armidale, will be able to take subjects taught by a teacher in Sydney that their school doesn’t offer. 

In Townsville today, diabetes patients can have their condition monitored from their homes over the NBN. 

Daily monitoring means their diabetes can be managed more effectively.

Helping to address issues before they need a trip to hospital. 

While the NBN is a large infrastructure investment it is also a long-term investment.  

This means that the services provided over the NBN can be sold at the same or lower prices than today.

And the NBN wholesale prices are the same wherever you are in Australia, with retail service providers announcing some very competitive NBN plans.  

We have seen some entry level plans from $29.95 a month.

While the advanced plans of 100Mbps down and 40 Mbps up, have seen prices start from $45.00 a month.

This means that families in towns like Morwell, Broome and Mount Isa will pay the same prices for NBN services as people in Toorak, Point Piper and Mosman Park.

Importantly, to those who said prices would be high and competition would be low.

We can categorically demonstrate this was false.

We have even seen a number of retail service providers improve their NBN plans as competitors released theirs.

The NBN means everyone, wherever they live in Australia, will have access to the essential infrastructure of the 21st century.

 Faster, more reliable broadband at the same price.

Now I want to save you all some time in doing an electoral analysis of the rollout. 

Firstly, we are not delivering this to any Coalition seat in Tasmania, because there are none!

Secondly, for mainland Australia, the electorates that will receive the NBN under this 3 year announcement are:

- 67 Labor electorates;
- 61 Coalition electorates; and 
- 6 cross bench electorates.

So out of 150 Federal Electorates, we are rolling out fibre to 139 electorates within the next three years.

The Gillard Government is committed to providing all Australians with access to the NBN.

Ultimately, no one will miss out.

But let me be clear, while some Australians may be disappointed not to be included in today’s announcement.

If elected, Tony Abbott will stop the NBN rollout...dead in its tracks!

Only one party has a plan to build the broadband infrastructure for our future, and that is the Labor Party, and the Gillard Government.

Thank you.  

Background

The eleven electorates not getting the NBN are:

Bowman - Andrew Laming - LNP

Calare - John Cobb - Nationals

Forde - Bert Van Manen - LNP

Hume - Alby Shultz - Liberal

Mackellar - Bronwyn Bishop - Liberal

Maranoa - Bruce Scott - LNP

McMillan - Russell Broadbent - Liberal

Richmond - Justine Elliott - ALP

Ryan - Jane Prentice - LNP

Wannon - Dan Tehan - Liberal

Wide Bay - Warren Truss - LNP