The road so far
One of the major policy differences between the Coalition and
Labor during the recent Federal Election was the approach to
building the National Broadband Network (NBN),
which is being rolled out by the Government-owned NBN Co.
The former Labor Government's approach to building the NBN
involved a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) solution
that would initially be capable of speeds of up to 100 Mbps
(upgradeable to 1 Gbps). This FTTP network was intended to cover up
to 93% of Australian homes and businesses, with the remaining 7% of
premises being connected by wireless or satellite infrastructure.
However, Labor's FTTP model involved a very substantial cost,
most recently estimated at A$44.1 billion. As the FTTP model
requires new fibre-based connections to be installed into all
houses, apartment complexes and office buildings, Labor's NBN
was not expected to be completed until at least 2021. The roll-out
to date has been problematic at times, with
