Quote:

A PUBLICITY stunt to announce the first seven customers to sign up for a free trial of the NBN cost the Federal Government $140,000, it has been revealed. The launch in independent MP Tony Windsor's northern NSW seat in May was attended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, as well as NBN Co boss Mike Quigley, reported The Daily Telegraph. The government has now admitted that the cost of the event, which the Opposition has labelled as a "giant publicity stunt", was $138,474.05. It was organised to show the PM "switching on" the first mainland NBN connection in Armidale. It was later revealed that only seven retail customers in Armidale had actually signed up for the free trial prior to the launch - despite 3000 homes in the area being NBN ready. At the time, Ms Gillard described the NBN as "the greatest infrastructure project in this nation's history".......

http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/nbn-launch-party-stunt-to-to-announce-the-first-seven-customers-to-sign-up-for-a-free-nsw-trial/story-e6frfkp9-1226156805482

Poll to see just how many are going to be so stupid as to not use the NBN once it is available.

its a silly poll. if it is free, then no one will say no to it. that doesnt mean we think it is good policy.

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 11:34am:

its a silly poll. if it is free, then no one will say no to it. that doesnt mean we think it is good policy.

well, it's a good thing it isnt free then

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 11:35am:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:34am: its a silly poll. if it is free, then no one will say no to it. that doesnt mean we think it is good policy. well, it's a good thing it isnt free then

no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it?

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 11:42am:

no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it?

Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth.

And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap.

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 12:04pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap.

thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck!

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 3:51pm:

thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck!

Oh look, I would've definitely have loved to see Optus/Telstra/Vodafone build up their own fiber networks.  The reality is, they are not financially viable to do so, and with Telstra holding the monopoly on the wholesale market, they would've never done so as there was no need to be competitive.

I'd prefer a monopoly on wholesale without being able to be leaked to the retail, than a company that has a wholesale market monopoly that allows it to effectively keep retail prices high yet "competitive" for self gain.

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 3:51pm:

sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 12:04pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap. thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck!

The Telstra Monopoly experiment has failed, as predicted. It's only natural to move to the only possible alternative when Telstra won't allow any other option.

GoddyofOz wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 4:06pm:

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 3:51pm: sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 12:04pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap. thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck! The Telstra Monopoly experiment has failed, as predicted. It's only natural to move to the only possible alternative when Telstra won't allow any other option.

ah the brilliant decision to replace a monopoly with... a monopoly. only the new monopoly has the lest inefficient owners ever: government.

$147,000 is a bargin when compared the the AFL wasting close to $600,000 of footy fans hard earned money on 12 minutes of a sad pathetic Meatloaf.
:D

adelcrow wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 5:01pm:

$147,000 is a bargin when compared the the AFL wasting close to $600,000 of footy fans hard earned money on 12 minutes of a sad pathetic Meatloaf. :D

You are not kidding   :-[ How much public money get wasted on football, when it is run by a corporation :-/

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 4:49pm:

GoddyofOz wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 4:06pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 3:51pm: sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 12:04pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap. thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck! The Telstra Monopoly experiment has failed, as predicted. It's only natural to move to the only possible alternative when Telstra won't allow any other option. ah the brilliant decision to replace a monopoly with... a monopoly. only the new monopoly has the lest inefficient owners ever: government.

How odd, i was not aware that it was illegal to build a competitor to the NBN. In fact at the start that is exactly what telstra said they would do, but strangely enough when they were offered money for their system to help make it cheaper and more straight forward for the NBN they sold.

If wireless is so brilliant then it will win, there are already multipole networks established around the country and as the NBN comes in i would recon it will get dirt cheap as the owners juice every cent out of it they can before it becomes obsolete and replaced by a new wireless technology they don't want to pay for.

But the biggest matter at hand is the hugh money spent on that promo. WOW the waste of this government. They are so bad they have spent nothing compared to Howard did on his pets and it was Hawke that started the whole game of big money promo's. Yet again this government are being hounded for what they have not done and i do not for a single second believe that the opposition will do anything but spend wildly on self promotion.

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 4:49pm:

GoddyofOz wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 4:06pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 3:51pm: sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 12:04pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap. thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck! The Telstra Monopoly experiment has failed, as predicted. It's only natural to move to the only possible alternative when Telstra won't allow any other option. ah the brilliant decision to replace a monopoly with... a monopoly. only the new monopoly has the lest inefficient owners ever: government.

So you suggest we leave things the way they are? That's the sort of attitude that brought about the need for the NBN in the first place.

You want a reason for the NBN to exist? There it is; to end Telstras stranglehold on competition and Productivity in the Telecommunications sector.

adelcrow wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 5:01pm:

$147,000 is a bargin when compared the the AFL wasting close to $600,000 of footy fans hard earned money on 12 minutes of a sad pathetic Meatloaf. :D

look I would have done it for half the price and probably a better job... what was wrong with him??? has anyone found out.. maybe drunk??

longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3^rd, 2011 at 4:49pm:

GoddyofOz wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 4:06pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 3:51pm: sir prince duke alevine wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 12:04pm: longweekend58 wrote on Oct 3rd, 2011 at 11:42am: no not free, just monopoly. hardly changes the argument now, does it? Not really. The poll stands - for those who are of serious belief that the NBN will not recoup its costs because it is a service that won't be used then surely they will themselves not use it and resort to the alternative... wireless broadband for ... $50 per 5GB of download data or so forth. And surely if you are of the opinion that the NBN will be like Telstra Wholesale, a monopoly, then the policy is in fact good because what it does is give us better infrastructure and remove the outrageous situation where a retailer has a monopoly of the wholesale product, which is what kept prices high and the infrastructure crap. thats funny. you think a GOVERNMENT monopoly is going to be any better than a privatea one? they both suck! The Telstra Monopoly experiment has failed, as predicted. It's only natural to move to the only possible alternative when Telstra won't allow any other option. ah the brilliant decision to replace a monopoly with... a monopoly. only the new monopoly has the lest inefficient owners ever: government.

longy wasnt it the idea in the very begining that they were going to sell half of it anyway????.. do a telstra!.. has that gone by the board along with so many other ideas.