Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Can the minister confirm that the wireless broadband network being funded by the government uses shared space public spectrum in the 5.8 gigahertz band? Won’t the minister’s second-rate system share this space with common household appliances like cordless phones, automatic garage doors and microwave ovens? Can the minister guarantee that when Australians answer their cordless phones or shut their garage doors their wireless broadband won’t drop out or be interfered with? Aren’t Australians living in rural and regional areas entitled to an assurance that they will not have to stop surfing the internet when they are microwaving their meat pies?