Fletcher highlights NBN Co Case Studies which don’t actually make the case for NBN

Speaking in Parliament last night, Member for Bradfield, Mr Paul Fletcher MP, highlighted two Case Studies, available on NBN Co’s website, which cite applications requiring much lower bandwidth than the 100 Mbps promised with the NBN.

“One describes the 2010 Hunter Nursing Pilot Project involving 50 high risk patients who were monitored using the Intel Health Guide, a remote patient monitoring system.  According to the document issued by NBN Co, this uses ‘high speed broadband’,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Yet when Dr George Margelis of Intel-GE Care Innovations – who is cited in the case study – was asked at a recent Parliamentary Inquiry about the speed required, he said, ‘…at least 256K; 512K would be better.  Once you start getting up to one and two megabits we actually find that the technology no longer becomes an issue...’”

 “We have a Case Study issued by NBN Co which implies that the Hunter Nursing Trial conducted in 2010 is evidence of the need for a high speed broadband network delivering up to 100Mbps,” Mr Fletcher said.

“But when you look at the facts of the matter – the actual speed required by the Trial is between 256 and 512 kilobits per second – the implication of the Case Study is, in fact, misleading.

 “512 kilobits per second is one two hundredth of the 100 megabits per second the NBN proposes to offer.  The Case Study does not justify over $50 billion that the Gillard government is spending on the NBN.”

Mr Fletcher also drew attention to a case study about Skills Tasmania, headed ‘E-learning for teachers and trainers.’ 

“If you read this Case Study quickly, you would think that the NBN is being used by Skills Tasmania to deliver e-learning applications in Tasmania.  Yet buried in the fine print is the statement, ‘Skills Tasmania isn’t connected to the NBN yet’.”

“I highlight these instances because they are really quite troubling.  Both of the examples which are given in these Case Studies are desirable activities, but they do not need 100 megabits per second; and they do not need the extraordinary amount of money – over $50 billion – that the government is spending on the NBN,” Mr Fletcher told the Parliament.

Media Contact – Georgia-Kate Schubert 02 9465 3950 or 0414 210216