The mayor of Manly, Sue Sacker, and other local government representatives in Sydney are right to oppose the ludicrous roll-out of overhead cable by Optus for pay-TV. Telstra-Foxtel can use Telstra underground conduit. The other reason for Optus’s roll-out, of course, is that Optus wants to build its own local telephone network and deliver data and other on-line services.
But there is no need, and never will be a need to have two sets of cables. Telstra fibre optic network coupled with coaxial from the street to the home is enough to carry a hundred or more television channels, plus voice and data … more than any human could possibly want or need.
The laying out of two cable networks is inefficient and inexcusable given other more pressing national needs.
Many Sydney suburbs have already been subjected to the visual eyesore and environmentally deleterious overhead cables. Other cities are likely to follow. At present federal telecommunications laws override local planning laws, though some court action has suggested local planners do have some say. In any event, it is time for the Government to stop this mad duplication. The cable-TV duopoly was a creature of Labor’s flawed communications policy. Australia should only ever had had one national network carrier with vigorous competition among providers on that network. As far as possible the Government should move to that model. Optus should be forced underground sharing at least the conduit, if not the cables, that Telstra has already there.