p>Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, today called on Opposition Broadband Spokesman Malcolm Turnbull to come clean with local residents about them having to pay as much as $5,000 to connect to superfast broadband under the Coalition.
“Mr Turnbull’s latest idea is to make people living in our region, who want fibre connected direct to their home or business, pay for it themselves,” Ms King said.
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Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, today called on Opposition Broadband Spokesman Malcolm Turnbull to come clean with local residents about them having to pay as much as $5,000 to connect to superfast broadband under the Coalition.
“Mr Turnbull’s latest idea is to make people living in our region, who want fibre connected direct to their home or business, pay for it themselves,” Ms King said.
“I have seen estimates that if this approach was adopted in Australia, it could cost as much as $5,000 to get connected.
“All our local residents deserve access to Labor’s fibre-to-the-home broadband, not just those lucky enough to afford it.
“Under Labor, connections to the NBN’s fibre network are free of charge.
“Mr Turnbull will also scrap Labor’s universal wholesale pricing guarantee, which ensures people living in non-metropolitan areas pay the same as people living in major cities like Melbourne for the same NBN service.
“Labor is bridging the digital divide in regional Australia, while Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull will make it wider and wider.”
Ms King said Mr Turnbull has also stated that NBN Co should not be entering into any further contracts.
“This proves that the Coalition won’t build the National Broadband Network, they will demolish it,” Ms King said.
"The Coalition’s copper-to-the-home plan will leave Australia with the broadband equivalent of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with only one lane.
“Australians deserve better than the broadband lottery the Coalition is proposing.
"Only Labor will build the NBN. Only Labor has a plan to deliver fast, affordable, and reliable broadband to every home and business in Australia."