Inside the bloody political war that led to a $31b NBN blowout
The NBN has cost a lot more public money than Labor promised back in 2009 but the Coalition’s meddling was largely to blame for a decade of misguided spending.
To the citizens of most developed nations, the idea that the construction of telecommunications infrastructure would be one of the most heated political debates for over a decade would sound absurd, yet Australia’s National Broadband Network is still causing consternation for the chattering classes 13 years in.
The latest controversy is one of economics: the long-held promise that the NBN was a commercial investment, which would repay its public funding over time, has been essentially discarded in favour of providing consumers affordable internet.
Paul SmithTechnology editorPaul Smith edits the technology coverage and has been a leading writer on the sector for 20 years. He covers big tech, business use of tech, the fast-growing Australian tech industry and start-ups, telecommunications and national innovation policy. Connect with Paul on Twitter. Email Paul at psmith@afr.com
