[AusNOG] Backhaul providers lobby against NBN POI proposal

[Grahame Lynch]

Nice point on water Tim.

I find it amazing that all around us we can see the mismatch between
incentives, regulation and investment constraints that have led to massive
price hikes in utilities such as water and power but some seem to think you
can throw all forms of cost and regulatory spanners at telecoms and somehow
it will be immune to price/cost shocks. Especially surprising since it is
mostly the same political and regulatory actors!

The government needs to articulate now what role - if any - it envisages for
private enteprise in fixed telecom infrastructure provision. The fact they
are to be referred to as "retail service providers" provides a small but
unsubtle clue perhaps but nevertheless the statement needs to be made
definitive at some stage - either it is wanted or not wanted.

If it is not wanted, OK fine. But let's call a spade a spade. Unlike every
capitalist, communist and in-between country in the world Australia is
then creating a nationalised monopoly in fixed telecommunications with no
room for anyone else except to provide a shopfront and an interconnect to
the overseas world. And if you DO want private investment in fixed telecoms,
well it's about time to articulate where you do want it, on what regulatory
terms and with a desire to incent it, not demonise it.

The current situation now is bottom end up and framed as if there is
actually no functioning broadband and telecom sector existing today.
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