![Picture](/uploads/8/4/1/7/8417532/2764596.jpg?285)
Which is really, really stupid. Malcolm has so much more to offer.
I have heard many people express the vain hope that Turnbull will do the right thing when it comes to the NBN. They believe that the current review will find that FTTP is the only prudent way for us to go as a nation, Malcolm will promise better management, he will get the roll out back on track, and he will stick to FTTP.
That's a nice dream. But there are a number of reasons why it is likely not reality.
I was a part of a delegation to Ewen Jones' office on Tuesday. The delegation was largely apolitical, it spanned a broad age range, it had representatives from Education, Health and IT backgrounds, and it had stakeholders who wanted the outcomes for Education, Health, and our region that only FTTP can offer.
As was reported in the Bulletin, Jones was arrogant and dismissive, despite being repeatedly corrected in relation to 'facts' he had completely wrong. He repeatedly spoke over the top of those who had made time to raise their concerns in his office, and he demonstrated his lack of understanding of the technology... like Abbott he is no 'tech head'.
His solution to the digital divide the Coalition are proposing to build... go buy a house with a FTTP connection or pay for the roll out yourself. The man was a Real Estate auctioneer, to him that is likely a logical response.
![Picture](/uploads/8/4/1/7/8417532/2601860.jpg?336)
The results of the Turnbull review will be out in the next few weeks, but information is already flowing which suggests Turnbull will be obeying his master. Jones has likely been briefed and is running hard on the line that the Coalition's plan will deliver their version of the NBN by 2016. The facts however contradict this... as reported in Business Spectator this is a highly unlikely outcome. It has also been revealed that while the construction costs under the Coalition's plan will be lower, the revenue the scheme will provide will be in the order of 30% lower.
Rumour has it that Turnbull is doing a cost benefit analysis. A 30% reduction in a revenue stream over an expected 50 year life time of the scheme would demand a significant discount in construction costs, I would expect much larger than the saving the government is promising.
But what will be most interesting is what Turnbull includes as the benefits to be gained from a FTTP over an FTTN network. All Malcolm has mentioned is download speed and watching movies. If Malcolm realy is an intelligent man,surely he sees more potential than this.
![Picture](/uploads/8/4/1/7/8417532/8004001.jpg?349)
Just looking at health benefits alone, that is a big task, and all Turnbull will be able to pull together in the 60 days he has allocated is a superficial con job. He won't be able to factor in the impact on Education (where Pyne is already removing resources), or on our region. The Coalition is also apparently working on a white paper fr northern development. Without FTTP in the regions, what will that look like?
Malcolm's true test will come in the next few weeks when theis NBN report is released.
I'm predicting he'll follow the path of his colleagues... and come up with an EPIC FAIL.