The roll-out of the Federal Government's national broadband network (NBN) in Tasmania has been criticised for its heavy reliance on overhead power lines. The NBN company says about 70 per cent of homes in the first three Tasmanian towns to form the network will be connected by overhead power lines.
The Federal Government and Telstra are still trying to strike a deal on rental charges for underground tunnels and ducts.
Federal Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says using overhead power lines is more expensive and less reliable than underground installation.
"The information that we've received in Senate inquiries is that in the short-term, it's cheaper to hang the cables overhead, but in the long-term, it can be much more costly and it can mean that the infrastructure is less reliable," he said.
"I think we will be better off doing this in a much more measured way in which the infrastructure is buried."
Federal Government's national broadband network
Posted - 25 Mar 2010 : 08:53:27 AM
