Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

What I would say to Senator Conroy is: he really needs to get out a bit more. Being stuck in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne, he would not have a clue what was available. I can say, on the program, that some 17 major broadband suppliers have either registered or expressed interest in registering. Two service providers are already fully registered, delivering Metropolitan Broadband Connect services via wireless technology. Four other providers are about to follow, and a further six companies are also applying for registration, while several others, including Telstra, have exchanged draft deeds of agreement with my department. Senator Conroy is so out of touch. He needs to get out a bit more, understand a bit more about his portfolio and take a few more briefings from Mr Tanner, and then he might have some idea of what he is talking about.