Thanks Malcolm for the Wonderful Internet...
It was the 9th of April 2013, almost four years ago, that I decided, in the interest of being 'politic', to compromise my absolute stance on FTTP as the only solution to Australia's abysmal internet and send a face-saving plan to Malcolm Turnbull instead.
This was in response to some advertising received, signed Malcolm Turnbull.
Now, I've been around the tech industry since around 1985; I lived through the days when Malcolm Turnbull ran his own 'ISP'. So I was well aware that Malcolm was indeed technically savvy enough to know what was good about FTTP and what was just wrong about his FTTN replacement plan.
So I'd like to post the emails and responses to Malcolm Turnbull here, just so everyone is aware of the fact that Malcolm Turnbull himself is complicit in the failure of the NBN; he is not an unwitting accomplice.
NOTE: There is some confusion about the dates/times due to TZ issues with GMail.
From: Malcolm Turnbull <Malcolm.Turnbull.MP@aph.gov.au> via mbounces.com To: Christopher Burke Subject: Coalition's Plan for Fast Broadband Date: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 3:29 PM
Not particularly convinced about the junk mail I'd just received, and not happy in general receiving snake oil advertising... I replied rather curtly:
From: Christopher Burke To: Malcolm Turnbull Subject: Re: Coalition's Plan for Fast Broadband Date: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 6:02 PM Thank you Malcolm, for emailing me the piece of technically inferior rubbish you call your NBN Plan. Thank you also for entirely ignoring my email to you on the issue - and just adding me to a mailing list instead. I thank you sincerely, because until now - I was an undecided voter. You have convinced me that not only will Labor's NBN be far superior, that you have no interest at all in participating in any debate on the issue. Yours, New Labor voter Christopher Burke
From: Turnbull, Malcolm (MP) To: Christopher Burke Subject: Re: Coalition's Plan for Fast Broadband Date: Sat, Apr 27, 2013 at 2:51 PM Hi Christopher, sorry to lose your vote. But you are quite mistaken that Labor’s plan will be commercially funded – in fact it will lead to huge liabilities for the Government. Malcolm.
That's when I went full bore with my 'cunning' plan to try and get some compromise:
NOTE: My memory has this next email first in the conversation; however, GMail dates have it the day after—at my age, I'm trusting the data and not my brain, but as presented, it doesn't seem in agreement with my memory of the sequence of events.
From: Christopher Burke To: Malcolm Turnbull Subject: How to save your NBN plan from us Technical 'experts', please listen. Date: Wed, Apr 10, 2013 at 8:26 AM The NBN that Labor offers is Australia's future; however, with a few tweaks, your plan can offer a similar and even better option. Here is the summary: Your plan needs to be modified such that it offers a parallel development. By purchasing a far smaller quantity of 'node' equipment, you can roll out a quick temporary system to a large number of people, whilst maintaining the fibre to the premises by then following up in each node area by altering the copper to fibre at each node. In essence - by looking at the quality of the service offered by the initial plan, you can prioritize poor copper areas for fibre replacement quickly - and those with better copper can occur later. In essence - you will have the speed of your coalition plan, with the same superior end result of the labor plan. Please listen to the many critics; however, I might be one of the few critics who really wants you to get this right, rather than just dismissing your alternate plan altogether. Please don't just add me to a mailing list again. Thanks, Christopher Burke PS: I've been in the IT/Comms industry since 1985, including 10 years working for Telstra.
And that, readers, is the moment the future Prime Minister of Australia confirmed that I should vote for the other guy.
I do hope you are all enjoying your super fast, completed NBN—after all, it was finished last year.
Christopher Burke
4th March 2017