Opinion: Bushband buggered again

Somebody at the Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy seems to have totally missed the point with news that NewSat's licence has been put on hold.

For reasons unknown, or more correctly, un-stated, the a href="https://www.techpartner.news/News/71121,labors-australian-broadband-guarantee-committments-brought-into-question.aspx" target="_blank">Department has decided that v can't offer its satellite broadband under the government's subsidy scheme. And nobody can afford this satellite stuff if they have to pay full price. Well, OK, mining companies can, but they're not the one's being starved for access. It's the ordinary folk and the small businesses that support them outside the capital cities which are getting the rough end of the pineapple – again.

Well, you can still get your subsidised satellite broadband from that other telco with a capital T logo, so maybe the new government isn't prepared to stand up to the broadband behemoth the way it claimed it would in pre-election posturing. Maybe they just want us to wait for Opel to reveal its shiny gems. We don't really know – nobody is telling us anything except that NewSat has the gear but the Dept won't give them access to the subsidy.

It seems the more things change the more they stay the same. No need to use your passport to visit the third world – just drive past the city limits in any direction for about an hour. That's probably a bit harsh. Lots of third world countries have much better broadband than we do.