Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

Last week, the NBN began installing the new G.fast technology over the fibre-to-the-curb technology, which will deliver the same gigabit speeds as fibre to the premises but at around $1,500 per premises less and with no need to dig up everyone's front yards to deliver it. In August, NBN released DOCSIS 3.1 technology which will nearly double downstream capacity and provide gigabit speeds over the HFC part of the network when future demand requires it. When our colleagues opposite were in office, the NBN wasn't allowed to deviate in the slightest from the fibre-to-the-premises model, no matter the cost and no matter the weight. They were paralysed by technology constraints which saw some houses costing $20,000 and more to connect to fibre. This government is not taking a theological approach to the NBN. We're taking a technological approach. We're getting it built. It will be done and dusted by 2020. That's good news.