Australian telecommunications is shaping up for a bitter war as
the National Broadband Network takes centre stage. After Telstra's
constant attempts to set the terms, exasperated broadband minister
Stephen Conroy barred them from bidding in late 2008. Now competing
telco Optus is in a good position, and it's from that company's
halls Wired Brown Land author, Paul Fletcher hails, a former
regulatory chief.
As such it's easy to dismiss the book as a Telstra character
assassination (former outspoken Telstra talking head Phil Burgess
wasn't widely liked, but does a chapter slagging him personally
really affect the future of Australian broadband?), but Fletcher
has a good viewpoint where he knows both the history and the lie of
the land. A large part of reading Wired Brown Land is sorting the
informative wheat from the hatchet-job chaff, but it's worth
it.
Of course, many will argue a hatchet job against the company
that's been accused of consistently using an unbalanced market
position to screw competitors, regulators and the Australian public
is perfectly warranted. Either way, Wide Brown Land is factual
enough to take seriously and to take its place among the national
debate.
- Drew Turney
