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NBN removes thousands of homes from rollout

The National Broadband Network has updated its rollout maps, removing hundreds of thousands of premises that were scheduled to be connected to fibre optic cable.

Labor has described those homes and businesses as the first victims of the new Government’s broadband policy.

But the NBN Co’s new executive chairman, Ziggy Switkowski, says the new maps are designed to improve transparency around the multi-billion dollar project.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the old maps were misleading, because they listed areas as being “under construction” even though they were only at the planning stage.

“People in those homes will be advised when the NBN is likely to be – or planned to be – commenced in their neighbourhood,” he said.

“What we’re doing is spelling out the facts about the NBN’s performance, instead of trying to create false impressions.

“Under the Labor regime, they were basically being misled. The Labor fog and spin about the NBN has been brought to an end.”

Labor’s former communications spokesman Stephen Conroy has told Sky News the latest data shows there has been a drop-off in the number of homes connected to the NBN during the past month.

He says that will have flow-on effects.

“Malcolm Turnbull has stalled the NBN rollout,” he said.

“And what that’s going to mean is later this week, you’re going to start to see some of the contractors, the workers who’ve been rolling this out, are going to be laid off.”

Turnbull ‘comfortable’ with NBN ban on Huawei

Meanwhile, Mr Turnbull has revealed he is comfortable with the decision to exclude Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from the NBN.

Labor banned the company from tendering for work on the project due to security concerns, and Mr Turnbull had previously promised to review the ban.

“We’ll review it in light of the full security briefing that is only available to government,” he said in June.

Earlier this week, Attorney-General George Brandis said he had decided to maintain the ban after receiving his own intelligence briefings.

Mr Turnbull says the Government’s position on the issue is clear.

“The Government’s position is that there is no change to the policy in respect of the participation of Huawei,” he said.

“And of course I support and, if you like, am comfortable with every policy of the Government.”

Topics: NBN
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