Thousands in Townsville set to miss out on superfast broadband

Media Release.

 

Anthony Albanese

Deputy Prime Minister

 

More than 37,000 homes and businesses in Townsville are set to miss out on superfast, affordable and reliable fibre broadband if the Rudd Labor Government is not re-elected at next month’s Federal Election, according to new maps released today.

The maps graphically show the extent to which Tony Abbott and his sidekick Malcolm Turnbull would wreck Federal Labor’s National Broadband Network, denying most in the region access to the boundless educational, health, lifestyle and commercial opportunities this essential infrastructure delivers.
If there’s a change of government on 7 September, the only homes and businesses that can be sure of getting access to NBN fibre broadband are the 15,000 that have been switched on under Federal Labor.
Everyone else is likely to be left with one of two choices: battle on using last century’s copper or fork out as much as $5,000 to have fibre connected to their home or business – something people are currently getting for free.
For Townsville’s 11,440 businesses alone, that could be a total financial hit as high as $57 million.
However, if the Rudd Labor Government is re-elected the roll out of fibre-to-the-premise will continue by mid-2016 to 52,400 homes and businesses in Townsville, Mount Louisa, Bohle, Deeragun, Bushland Beach and Black River.
Federal Labor’s NBN is an investment in our nation’s future prosperity.  It will transform the way we live our lives, do business, grow our regions and engage with the rest of world.  That’s why access to it should not depend on how much money you have or where you happen to live or do business.
When it comes superfast, affordable and reliable broadband, only Federal Labor will do it once, do it right, and do it with fibre.
Australians now face a clear choice: they can vote for the future and fibre under Labor or the past and copper under the Coalition.