From Australian IT:
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,16280265^15319^^nbv^15306,00.html
..." Telstra's new boss Sol Trujillo last week said Australia had fallen into the last quartile among developed countries for telecommunications services.
Labor senator Anne McEwen today called on Senator Coonan to explain why Australian consumers paid up to three times as much for broadband than Koreans.
"Is the minister also aware that entry level broadband products in Canada are six times faster, allow 30 times the amount of downloads and are 10 per cent cheaper than the equivalent Australian product," Senator McEwen said.
"In light of these facts does the minister now understand why Telstra CEO Mr Trujillo told his board that Australia is in the bottom quartile of developed countries in terms of its telecommunications services?"
But Senator Coonan defended the state of broadband services, saying Australia was ranked 10th out of developed countries by the OECD in terms of broadband take-up.
She said there were now about two million broadband subscribers in Australia.
"What in fact the figures show is, of course, that particularly in populous areas there's a range of ways in which broadband can be provided over different platforms with different technologies and that's precisely how consumers get choice, competition and lower prices," Senator Coonan said. "...
Hah! in response to others pay less, our pollie (Senator Coonan) says that in a different ranking, we are tenth (that is relevant how?), and that where there is competition, prices are lower (again, this is relevant how?).
Duck, dodge, parry, thrust, spin, BOIIING!
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http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,16280265^15319^^nbv^15306,00.html
..." Telstra's new boss Sol Trujillo last week said Australia had fallen into the last quartile among developed countries for telecommunications services.
Labor senator Anne McEwen today called on Senator Coonan to explain why Australian consumers paid up to three times as much for broadband than Koreans.
"Is the minister also aware that entry level broadband products in Canada are six times faster, allow 30 times the amount of downloads and are 10 per cent cheaper than the equivalent Australian product," Senator McEwen said.
"In light of these facts does the minister now understand why Telstra CEO Mr Trujillo told his board that Australia is in the bottom quartile of developed countries in terms of its telecommunications services?"
But Senator Coonan defended the state of broadband services, saying Australia was ranked 10th out of developed countries by the OECD in terms of broadband take-up.
She said there were now about two million broadband subscribers in Australia.
"What in fact the figures show is, of course, that particularly in populous areas there's a range of ways in which broadband can be provided over different platforms with different technologies and that's precisely how consumers get choice, competition and lower prices," Senator Coonan said. "...
Hah! in response to others pay less, our pollie (Senator Coonan) says that in a different ranking, we are tenth (that is relevant how?), and that where there is competition, prices are lower (again, this is relevant how?).
Duck, dodge, parry, thrust, spin, BOIIING!
</disgusted>