farmdoc's blog post number 12

At midnight last Monday Telstra shut down its CDMA mobile phone network because, it said, it was outdated. Since 1999 CDMA had been the core of mobile phone services in rural and regional Australia. It covered 98% of the population. The other 2% includes Mole Creekians, even though a few years ago a petition was reportedly signed by 100% of us. The CDMA network was duly replaced by a new 3G network, later named Next G. And the fact is the coverage of Next G is no greater than CDMA. Well what did you expect from a privatised Telstra, eh? That they would spend millions on infrastructure to extend Next G to the outlying 2%? Oh no. The microsecond Telstra turned private, its shareholders became its most important stakeholder, and be damned the Australian public. Shame on successive governments – ALP and Coalition, Federal and State – who have privatised public utilities. I wish their arrogant negligence would haunt these privatisers for the rest of their days. But it won’t happen, because despite their media bleating they don’t have consciences, and they probably own shares in the very companies that have devoured the public bounty at bargain basement prices. Now Telstra is advising farmers who are still experiencing Next G problems to call the 1800 888 888 hotline and lodge their concerns with Telstra. Big bloody whoopy do!