Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

This government and nbn co do have big plans for HFC in Australia. Labor started the NBN with barely a plan A; we know that they do not even have a plan B now that they are in opposition. HFC is very capable high-speed broadband technology. Contrary to what those opposite have said, Optus is continuing to invest in HFC assets in advance of the handover to nbn. nbn will invest further in HFC, with new technologies like DOCSIS 3.1, which will allow for gigabit speeds. Unlike fibre to the premises, it already passes four million homes around Australia, as I have said, and the cost and the time to upgrade it are much smaller than Labor's rip-up and replace plan. We stand by our plan. We stand by nbn's approach.