The Australian government has also played a role in Australia’s slow and expensive internet. In 2009, the government launched the National Broadband Network (NBN), a project to build a new nationwide broadband network. However, delays and cost overruns have plagued the project, which still needs to be completed.
The NBN was originally designed to deliver fibre to the premises (FTTP) to all Australians. However, the government later switched to various technologies, including fibre to the node (FTTN) and hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC). This decision was made to reduce the project’s cost, but it has resulted in slower speeds for many Australians.
The NBN has also been criticised for its high wholesale prices. These prices are set by NBN Co., the government-owned company that operates the NBN. The high wholesale prices have been passed on to consumers, resulting in higher broadband prices.
The Australian government is reviewing the NBN, considering several options to improve speeds and reduce prices. One option is to upgrade the NBN to FTTP for all Australians. However, this would be a very expensive option. Another option is to reduce NBN Co.’s wholesale prices. However, this could lead to losses for NBN Co., ultimately leading to the privatisation of the NBN.
