NBN rollout is scattered: Switkowski

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Desember 2013 | 12.21

TELSTRA management has directly contradicted claims by its workforce that the company's copper network is in disrepair, a Senate Select Committee into the National Broadband Network has heard.

Under questioning from Greens Senator Scott Ludlum, Telstra director of government relations Jeff Shaw would not guarantee an audit of its copper network would be conducted ahead of its sale to the Australian taxpayer.

"They are matters that will be discussed in the context of negotiations," Mr Shaw said.

Key parts of a strategic review into the NBN presented by Mr Turnbull last week have been blacked out - including an estimation of the cost of Telstra's copper network.

The committee heard two weeks ago from Telstra staff, who said 70 per cent of the network's joiners were being patched up with plastic bags, gaffer tape and gel to protect parts of the network contained in pits.

Mr Shaw on Tuesday refuted the figure.

"Do you want to hazard a statistic," Senator Ludlum asked.

"I can't," Mr Shaw said.

Earlier, NBN Co executive chairman Dr Ziggy Switkowski told the committee he would not "buy into" questions asking him to guarantee internet speeds.

"One of the problems I have found in reviewing the past is there has been a too-quick take-up of words like 'guarantee'," Mr Switkowski said.

"It's clear after four years of the NBN, guarantees have lost currency."

Committee chair Senator Stephen Conroy repeatedly asked Mr Switkowski if the roll-out was being deliberately slowed.

Liberal Senator Anne Ruston accused the chair of trying to verbal Mr Switkowski.

"We have inherited a somewhat dissatisfied group of partners who are dissatisfied with us, who have slowed deployments," Mr Switkowski said later.

"There's no change in the current strategy. We are rolling out fibre to the premises where we can.

"We have a machine ... that is running at four or five thousand (homes) a week, which it was during Senator Conroy's time."

The coalition on Thursday released a strategic review of the NBN, which found that under Labor's plans, the rollout would miss its 2021 target by three years and cost $73 billion - up from $43 billion - to complete.

Mr Switkowski said the rollout had been largely scattered, and involved many contractors doing sub-critical work.

The committee heard that divisions within NBN Co had been providing different sets of figures on the same subject.

The review also found the government would not be able to meet its pledge of delivering 25 Mbps to all Australians by 2016, and its NBN plans would cost 40 per cent more than the $29.5 billion estimated in April.

Mr Turnbull said the coalition remained committed to limiting its equity investment in NBN Co to $29.5 billion, with the excess cost to be made up through debt.


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