Media Statement - 13th November 2007
Senator Stephen Conroy, Shadow Minister for Communications is in Tasmania today to expose the coverage of the Government’s $1 billion fixed wireless broadband network is 50 per cent less than that claimed.
The maps of Bass, Braddon, Denison and Tasmania as a whole are available on the ALP website at http://www.alp.org.au/media/1007/mscoit181.php.
“Labor’s research is supported by technical experts as well as independent research performed by the right-wing think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs” said Senator Stephen Conroy.
“Labor’s maps reveal the extent to which the Howard Government have misled the Australian public on their broadband plan” said Senator Conroy.
“Thousands of people will be unable to receive broadband under the Howard Government’s fixed wireless broadband plan.
“The Howard Government assumed the earth was flat in the broadband coverage maps they released on June 18. They ignored critical issues, including the fact that wireless broadband does not transmit through hills and mountains.
“Labor’s map takes into account that the Government’s wireless broadband requires line of sight transmission, and demonstrate that the Government has mislead thousands of Tasmanian residents.
The Minister for Communications own Department have exposed the Government maps as fraudulent, placing a disclaimer on their website that states:
“Depictions of WiMAX and other wireless coverage on these maps do not take into account local topographic features… The Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts makes no guarantee about the suitability of these maps for any purpose by any person whatsoever.”...http://www.broadbandnow.gov.au/opel-disclaimer.htm
“These disclaimers were not included when various Government MP’s mailed out the maps of their electorates to constituents, fraudulently misleading Australians.
“Only Labor
has a plan to deliver improved broadband services to 100% of Australians.
“Labor has committed $4.7 billion to build a national broadband network that
includes a fibre-to-the node network that will deliver minimum speeds of 12 Mbps to 98 per cent of Australians. The remaining
2 per cent will get improved services using the best-available new satellite,
wireless and microwave technology.”