INDUSTRY leaders in Tamworth could look to relocate to other areas of the region if the city does not have the right technology for the future, a former National Broadband Network CEO has claimed.
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Former NBN Co chief Mike Quigley was in the city yesterday in a joint call with independent candidate for New England Tony Windsor for the technology to be reinstated.
The duo claimed areas such as the Tamworth region could be left behind if fibre to the node technology was installed, which was not a long-term and sustainable solution, such as the NBN’s fibre to the premise model.
“The whole world is moving to fibre to the premise,” Mr Quigley told media yesterday. “There are very few places that still continue with fibre to the node.
“It was a big nation building visionary project but it was the right answer. It is a great pity that what is now being built is in fact the old technology. It is not the right technology for the future and it is going to have to be replaced.
“We don’t know when exactly, but it’s not likely going to be too long.”
Mr Quigley said it’s been proven that major industries have been relocating to areas that have NBN access and it could happen to Tamworth.
“One of the areas we did in parallel to Armidale was Kiama, and we saw businesses moving in to Kiama to get use of the fibre to the premise,” Mr Quigley said.
“That’s happened in places around the world.
“What I can tell you is if people are concerned about prudency and efficiency and a good use of taxpayer dollars, that original plan (of the NBN) would be the right use.
“It is a big economic issue in my view, it is literally tens of billions of dollars that are going to be wasted because that fibre to the node network is going to have to be operated on.
“It will be in the billions of dollars to replace that.”
Meanwhile, Mr Windsor believed it was not too late for the community to stand up and throw their hats in the ring for the fibre to the premise resource.
“One thing in politics, as in life, is nothing is irreversible,” Mr Windsor said.
“These things can change, and what I’m trying to do and there are many others across regional Australia who are trying to apply the political pressure to make sure that before a community like Tamworth is rolled out to the node and will probably stay there for 20 or 30 years before someone comes along and changes it again , we need to make sure that the correct technology is put in place.
“That can still happen, the streets haven’t been dug up yet.
“All of that is reversible, that’s one of five significant future reasons that I am re contesting this seat and I’m going to fight until the death on this.”
