Australia To Build Fiber-To-the-Premises Network 300
candiman writes "The Australian PM, Kevin Rudd, has just announced that none of the private sector submissions to build a National Broadband Network was up to the standard, so instead the government is going to form a private company to build a fiber to the premises network. The network will connect to 90% of premises delivering 100Mb/s. The remaining 10% will be reached with wireless and satellite delivering up to 12Mb/s. The network cost has been estimated at 43 billion AU dollars over 8 years of construction — and is expected to employ 47,000 people at peak. It will be wholesale only and completely open access. As an Australian who voted for the other guys, all I can say is, wow."
Damn... (Score:3, Funny)
8 Years?! Oh god won't someone please think of the pornography?!
Wahoo! (Score:5, Funny)
Soon, people down under will be able to hit their download caps in a matter of minutes! Yay progress!!!!
Re:Damn... (Score:4, Funny)
Someone should tell them (Score:2, Funny)
It's for the cameras (Score:5, Funny)
How on earth do you expect them to keep track of you without sufficient bandwidth?
Australia announces new national broadband network (Score:4, Funny)
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has announced that the Australian government will build a new $43 billion national broadband network [today.com], connecting 90% of homes to 100-megabit fibre internet. "We believe that fast broadband is absolutely essential for our nation's future", he said.
"Telstra has raised issues with the amount of bandwidth usage this will produce, but our Great Firewall of Australia Internet filtering project should keep usage down to reasonable levels at near-dialup speeds."
The Great Firewall will reliably block all illegal material, child pornography, terrorism and unhappy thoughts on the network.
"Not only are the contents of the list illegal," said Senator Stephen Conroy, " but revealing the list is also illegal, as is linking to someone linking to someone purporting to reveal the list. So blocking Google Search is required. This will also help keep usage down to an acceptable level."
Calling it, the "single largest infrastructure decision in Australia's history," Mr Rudd said the project would employ up to 37,000 people a year scanning citizens' net access, reading their email and correcting spelling errors in their football forum posts.
A consultative process will occur to determine the regulatory framework for the network. "We're considering getting Senator Fielding to do it personally," said Senator Conroy, "since he's the dickhead who demanded the censorship in return for his vote. Hopefully it'll melt his brain. Bloody balance of power. At least Nick Xenophon's bloody sane."
Re:RTFA (Score:2, Funny)
Don't knock Woop-woop! It's a great place, right up there with Wollongong, Blowhard, Cockburn, Bonnin Head and Mount Mee!
Australian place names ftw.
Re:RTFA (Score:3, Funny)
You forgot Burpengary [wikipedia.org] and Woodenbong [wikipedia.org].