senator conroy gives the inside poop

Some interesting stuff this week from our Federal Communications Senator.

Apart from the Telcos interests, What about the Consumers?

LINE PHONE ACCESS
If Australians do not opt in to the national broadband network (NBN) as it is rolled out they will lose their fixed-line phone service unless they pay a one-time fee of about $300.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has said repeatedly that he would not be forcing homes on to the NBN, however, if consumers want to keep their fixed-line telephone service once Telstra has decommissioned its copper network, then they will need to connect to the new network, requiring a payment.

BROADBAND ACCESS:
The planned roll out of a privately funded super fast broadband network in Brisbane will not result in cheaper prices to access the National Broadband Network than the rest of the country, according to the federal government.

Despite i3 Asia Pacific plans to provide its own network in the city, federal communications minister Senator Stephen Conroy said yesterday the NBN would have the same price nationally.

"In exactly the same way Australia Post has a uniform price to send a letter and in exactly the same way a bank charges the same to use an ATM in the centre of Brisbane as it does in Mt Isa, we are putting forward the same proposition," he told ABC radio.

"But we'll be having one uniform, national price for the same product across the country."


....i3 Asia Pacific plans seem somewhat hopeful; but do these controls also apply to other Telcos with more proven private schemes?