Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Mr President. As I was saying, it's precisely because of the multitechnology mix approach adopted by this government that the NBN will be completed six to eight years sooner than would otherwise have been the case, and at about $30 billion less cost.

The senator is quite right: part of the multitechnology mix is the deployment of the fibre to the node. Now, if colleagues will look around the world, it is extremely common that a multitechnology approach is taken around the world because it's recognised that you've got to deploy the technology that makes sense in a given area. If it makes sense, for instance, to use the existing HFC pay TV cable, then use that. If it makes sense to deploy what we're calling fibre to the curb, then that should happen. If fibre to the node makes sense, do that; if fixed wireless makes sense, do that; and if the use of satellite is what is most sensible in a given area, then that should be used.

That is the approach that we're taking, and of course—