Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Coonan, the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. Does the minister recall claiming on The 7.30 Report this week:

ADSL 2 plus has speeds on average about 12 megabits up to 18, even 23, depending on some circumstances.

Is the minister aware of a report released by Citigroup that finds that it is physically impossible for ADSL2+ to deliver these kinds of speeds on a mass-market basis and that a more realistic average speed for this technology is three megabits? Can the minister explain to the chamber what she is doing to remedy her appalling ignorance of the technical issues in her own portfolio? Will the minister also apologise for misleading the Australian people about what ADSL2+ is capable of delivering?