Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Is the minister aware that the fact sheet distributed today by her office claims that the WiMAX network being funded by the government will provide coverage of up to 50 kilometres, while the Optus media release states that the network will provide coverage of only 20 kilometres? How far will the coverage of the network extend—20 kilometres or 50 kilometres? How can the government claim that it is delivering broadband to 99 per cent of Australians if it does not even know the coverage of its own network? Doesn’t this kind of fundamental technological confusion demonstrate the risks associated with funding an untested, risky solution for rural and regional Australia?

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

Thank you, Senator Conroy, for the question. I must say that you have a wonderful problem when you are arguing about whether you are extending coverage 20, 40 or 50 kilometres from an exchange, when the Labor Party’s proposal is for no more than four. Obviously the manufacturer’s fact sheets on WiMAX technology acknowledge the source of the manufacturer’s claim for 50 kilometres. Conservatively, we—together with Optus, Elders and the Opel venture and those advising me—are not claiming greater than 20 kilometres under the current iteration of the technology. We do not overpitch this; we say what it will do. We could have exaggerated this. We could have relied on various other materials that are available, but we will not do that. We make the claims that are deliverable—and deliverable to 99 per cent of Australians.

In another part of his question, Senator Conroy talked about his proposal—I think he mentioned it, although we do not seem to be hearing much about that—but I can talk about alternative policies. This must be a deeply embarrassing moment for the Labor Party, which has held onto broadband and the need for investment in infrastructure as some sort of mantra that was trotted out by an economically illiterate Mr Rudd and Mr Tanner, who does not even know that we have 24/7 broadband services and international diagnosis, and it was trotted out by Senator Conroy, who clearly does not understand the capacities of the WiMAX technology. It is important, in all the circumstances, that we take a deep breath and look at what is in this package. In this package there is a whole new national network that is probably the most important step for competition since deregulation in telecommunications. A structurally separated, wholly independent network will be available to all retail. Any wholesaler can access the network at parity prices.

The package also includes an expert task force to assess options for a commercial fibre rollout by way of competitive bids. We have said that we are not prepared to lend ourselves to the Labor Party’s totally irresponsible plan of raiding the Future Fund to make this hopeless foray of fibre into the bush. As Senator Minchin has said, we will quarantine it. We will legislate so that the Labor Party will not be able to help itself to $2 billion of money that has been set aside for future upgrades of this WiMAX technology. This brings me to the point that 20 kilometres will ensure that we can get this network to 99 per cent of Australians. They have never had it before, and they certainly will never get any kind of fibre line under Labor’s policy unless they live within four kilometres of an exchange. The other important thing is that we have done this in a cost-effective way for taxpayers. The Labor Party, who are incapable of managing this economy, are going to grab $4.7 billion of taxpayers’ dollars for a network that will not go even 20 kilometres. (Time expired)

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can I read to you from the WiMAX fact sheet, which states:

WiMAX is a fourth-generation wireless technology that provides high-speed broadband connections over distances of up to 50 kilometres.

That is from your own press release today. Is the minister further aware that Optus’s fact sheet on its wireless network provides:

Broadband wireless will use public and apparatus licensed spectrum.

The term ‘WiMAX’ is used in this fact sheet as a generic term to describe a family of technologies that include broadband wireless access. Won’t this use of public shared spectrum raise interference issues that will prevent this network ensuring quality of service? Can the Optus network formally be described as a WiMAX network? If so, what WiMAX standard is the Optus wireless network using?

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

I have seen claims at various places about the technology upgrade path—including Intel, which put the research and development into WiMAX technology—that this technology will be capable of scaling to 70 megabits per second. In fact, whether it goes 20 kilometres, 40 kilometres or 50 kilometres, when we start rolling it out, it will be far better than anything else that consumers have had to date.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I raise a point of order. The point of order is relevance. I specifically asked: what WiMAX standard is the Optus wireless network using? That is the question which, with only 30 seconds to go, the minister has not answered.

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It was a supplementary question. I would remind you of the supplementary question, Senator Coonan. You have 20 seconds.

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

I think what Senator Conroy is shouting about is that he would like to know what spectrum is being used. Let me assure Senator Conroy that we are perfectly satisfied that the available spectrum will run this technology.