THE number of homes and businesses to be directly connected to a fibre-to-the-premises network under the Coalition's national broadband network proposal could increase after the government monopoly building Labor's version revealed that current connection costs were lower than assumed.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee hearing in Sydney yesterday, NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley revealed that connecting existing homes to Labor's fibre-to-the-premise network was costing between $2200 and $2500 per premise, about two-thirds of the $3600 cost claimed by opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.
Despite expressing scepticism about the figures, Mr Turnbull said if the connection costs stood up to independent scrutiny, then the Coalition would increase the number of homes it had planned to connect directly to fibre under its NBN policy.
The Coalition currently plans for 22 per cent of premises to be connected to a fibre-to-the-premises network. Labor has mandated that 93 per cent of homes be directly connected to fibre under its NBN plan.
"We know fibre to the premise is the best technological solution, and if you can build it cost-effectively, then you should do so," Mr Turnbull said.
"If we're able to build more of it cost effectively, then we would do so."
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said Mr Turnbull's comments were an admission that the assumptions underpinning the Coalition's criticism of Labor's NBN had been "torn to shreds".
