Telstra

It's official. Telstra is no longer a monopoly. One day I hope to say those words about Bell but I ain't gonna hold my breath. The question is, can the Australian government manage the National Broadband Network well enough so they don't squander this once-in-a-century opportunity. It would be a shame if it was wasted, but the only thing worse than a private sector monopoly, is a government owned monopoly. I'll be watching this with interest.

Bell Would Fight

Wow! Telstra, Australia's largest telco, has agreed to switch its customers to the government run fibre network, when it becomes available. How did they do that? Actually, as this article indicates, it likely wasn't a difficult decision, which suggests Telstra might have people resembling businessmen running it. I wonder how Bell would react under similar circumstances? Somehow I have a feeling Bell would fight, rather than co-operate.