Friday, September 17, 2010

Malcolm Turnbull's impossible task

Harold Mitchell in SMH

"Australia is in an extremely enviable position to benefit from this Asian explosion. If we're clever, and I don't doubt that we are, we will continue to hook ourselves into this region of incredible growth across all sectors, from education and trade to cultural and scientific exchange.

To do this we will need to fully embrace the explosion of new technology, including new systems like the 4G and 5G phone, a phone that is eight times faster than the present one and a sixth of the cost. But it needs a highly advanced broadband system.

No one at the conference could understand why we should not be at the top end of the world in broadband. The 5G phone in America will connect 95 per cent of the country. Louise says that anyone who can get 95 per cent should be at the top of the class.

While I was away, I see that Malcolm Turnbull got the job to oppose the construction of a world-leading broadband network for Australia. Malcolm is a good friend and one of our most intelligent and persuasive politicians. His wife, Lucy, is equally clever and totally hooked into the IT world.

... behind every great man there is an even greater woman. I hope that Lucy Turnbull is able to convince her husband that Australia needs a broadband better than anyone else in the world."

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