Before you post next time, take a deep breath and re-read the post you intend to flame.

My post made no mention of big business using DSL. I made the case that even DSL for business (small, mid, whatever) is expensive. Fiber is even more so. I made the case that big business would see significant benefits from cheaper access to acceptable interconnects between sites (the NBN will be cheaper than their current infrastructure - whatever it may be). I made that case that more affordable infrastructure may make Australia more attractive to international business considering setting up in Australia.

Wasting money is never a good thing. This is not a waste of money. People much smarter than I (and you) have made the case that it will pay for itself over the mid-term. This is infrastructure. My point related exactly to people like you who claim that this (and other expenses) are a waste.

I think that there is such a separation of equality between internet exposure in the rural parts of Australia and the cities that this is necessary, and now. The opposition was proposing to spend a little under 1% GDP on infrastructure that would need to be replaced and upgraded many times over the lifetime of the fiber infrastructure. Their proposal was literally a waste.

Take a chill pill. You're ruining the perception that Aussies are laid back and ride kangaroos to work.

Are you suggesting that the high price of speedy internet in Australia comes at "no cost to the nation"?

On top of providing first class internet access for Australians, it will bring the ongoing cost of accessing broadband down significantly. Already, the mere talk of an NBN has broken Telstra's anticompetitive back. Sol was arguably forced out of Telstra as a direct result of the NBN announcement. Until this announcement, Telstra was holding all Australian's back at 8mbps maximums.

You also clearly have no idea as to the cost of networking infrastructure for business in Australia. Have you ever wondered why a 24/1 connection can be had for under $100/mo, yet a business can expect to pay thousands for 2/2 symmetrical? Perhaps you didn't even know. This is because of the current monopoly practices of the telecommunications giants. Businesses need upstream as much as they do downstream, whereas your average punter has little need for upsteam.

The NBN will make Australia a more attractive home for big business than it presently is. A large company can expect to pay tens of thousands of dollars a month (or more) for acceptable interconnects between their offices. Australia has competitive tax rates, and there was talk recently about making them even more attractive. The addition of NBN may serve as an additional sweetener to bring business to Australia.

On a sidenote, I'm always surprised to hear people talking about governments wasting money. I would be pretty unimpressed to find out that the government was taking my taxes and hording the money for god only knows what. We pay taxes precisely so that the government can implement major infrastructure like this. Sure, I'm all for saving up a surplus for a rainy day, but over the past 15 years there's been room for more public spending in my opinion.

Some noticed the snake and made a judgement call assuming that the Greens would hold the balance of power; they voted Labor in the house of reps and Greens in the senate. As it turns out, the Greens will hold the balance of power in the senate; opposing censorship was one of their campaign promises.

I agree with you in suggesting that most people don't want censorship. None of the people I have talked to are in favor of it. Australia is composed largely of moderates these days, as shown by the election outcome. Religious extremists and the like are a very small minority.

The current PM of Australia stated publicly that she does not believe in god, and still got into power (although she only scraped through - but I think we can all agree this was mainly for reasons unrelated).