THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP
ACTING SHADOW MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS
SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL
SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY
MEMBER FOR ISAACS
BROADBAND PERFORMANCE MONITORING A WELCOME STEP THAT TOOK TOO LONG TO MAKE
The announcement today that the ACCC will recruit 4000 volunteers to measure internet speeds is a welcome step that will help ensure consumers are better informed to make choices about the NBN services they purchase.
By providing greater transparency, competition will be enhanced and this is a good outcome for consumers, service providers and NBN Co.
The real question is why has this sensible step taken so long?
Quite simply, this Government does not care about consumers. They never have, and they never will.
The Minister began limping towards action only after his backbench dressed him down for the poor performance of the NBN.
Australians are not fooled they know this Governments commitment is hollow.
Despite its value, a monitoring program wont solve the structural problem a $50 billion price tag to deliver a second-rate NBN that relies on last century's copper.
There isn't a monitoring program in the world that can unwind that scale of a mess.
Malcolm Turnbull's failure in engineering and economics means that all Australians are paying the price for his decision to roll out a second-rate copper NBN.
Its no surprise that last year the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) found that new complaints about faults on the NBN soared by almost 150 per cent last year, and there was a near 50 per cent increase in new complaints about internet data speeds. Recently the TIO said they expect complaints about the NBN to double from this already high level this year.
The Australian people want fast, reliable broadband, and far too many are simply not getting it because decisions made by Malcolm Turnbull.
Instead of the Government blaming everybody but themselves for the situation they've put Australia in they should bring all relevant parties together to deliver for the Australian people.
FRIDAY, 7 APRIL 2017
