conroy on sats, page-2

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/22/2692686.htm..

Conroy looks to space for broadband fix
Posted 1 hour 49 minutes ago


'Whatever it takes': Senator Conroy won't rule out Australia sending its own satellites into space. (AAP: Alan Porritt, file photo)

Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says he is prepared to spend whatever it takes to make the digital economy work.

The minister, who last week announced he would take the axe to Telstra's monopoly, told a Tamworth forum that he is prepared to do whatever it takes to solve coverage issues in rural and remote Australia.

He says he will not rule out Australia sending its own satellites into space to ensure adequate coverage.

"If we can't do a deal with operators who've got satellites in the sky, we're actually looking to do it ourselves," he said.

Senator Conroy was speaking to local mayors, academics and telco service providers about his plans for a national broadband rollout and the introduction of digital TV.

He says he is fed up with the market claiming it should be left to set prices when the technology revolution gets underway.

"We are saying up front this will be a cross-subsidy, one wholesale price averaged across the country," he said.

"I mean, fair dinkum, if you pay the same amount to use an ATM in Martin Place in Sydney as you do here, if banks can do it for ATMs, we can do it for an NBN network.

"We're not prepared to accept the argument the market will sort this out. We've had 11-and-a-half years of the market sorting this out, and it's a debacle."

Mildura, in Victoria, will lead the switch off of analog TV signals next year.

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... im not sure if Mr.Conroy means NewSat when he talks of "satellite companies operators".... do you know ????
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