Broadband Nationalised not Privatised

It is interesting how a chance meeting with someone from the other side of the world influences your thinking of a national policy debate in Australia.

 

A number of months ago my family and I were on a few days off and holidaying on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland enjoying catching up with friends and taking in the great tourism and natural attractions that this area has to offer.  During this time we happened to stop at a mountain lookout to take in the breathtaking views that it offered across the hinterland and Sunshine Coast.  As I parked the car and we began to ascend to the lookout a large gentleman in a loud Amerian accent yelled out in my direction, 'Blue Jackets'.  Looking bemused I played along and said, "Ahh yeah, I dont know their name!" Thinking he was offering his opinion of a local bird that he has discovered.  'No', he replied, "You, A Blue Jacket!" As he pointed to the Jersey I was wearing.  Looking bemused I tugged at the jersey  and queried if this is what he meant. 'Yes, Ohio Blue Jackets'.  I had finally found out that the Jersey I had recieved as a birthday gift from my brother-in-law was in fact an Ice Hockey Jersey from Ohio, USA, known as the 'Blue Jackets', a name left over from their Civil War.

 

After a number of photos of each other and a long discussion on the wonderful country that he and his wife had found Australia to be, I found that this gentleman was on Holiday from Ohio and was on his way to attending a Lions Club Conference in Sydney.  Upon us departing we exchanged names, addresses and I offered him my email address, however he stated that unfortunately that where he comes from in rual Ohio that he does not use the internet as it is too slow and unreliable and at times he cannot access it as it drops out for long periods at a time.  On querying him on this he stated that in the USA private company's run the phone and internet access and that in the area that he lives in, it is not profitable for the companies to offer them a full internet service.  He stated that he found it interesting that Australia was having a debate on investing in a nationalised National Broad Band network, that of a country the size of Australia that surely all we (Australia) had to do was to look at the debacle that is the USA internet access through private companies.  He praised the Australian Governement for taking the lead and ensuring through Nationalisation that all Australians have access to high speed broadband.

 

With Tony Abbott and the Coalition announcement today that they would scrap the National Broadband Network and hand it over to private enterprise to develop, I can see that my friend from Ohio offers a glimpse into the future for such a plan.  Privatisation of the Broadband will see only major centres recieve the high level service, regional centres a second rate service and rural areas the same of that is rural Ohio - where people, .."don't use the internet as it is too slow and unreliable and at times it will drop out for long periods at a time"

 

 

This is my personal view.

Mal