NBN money down drain
CONTRACTORS are confused about an NBN Co decision to ask local developers to get their estates NBN ready, despite no promise of the high-speed broadband network in Gladstone late last year.
The decision has left electrical contractors with egg on their faces, after it was suggested residents of new greenfield estates would have NBN connections to their homes.
Corfield Electrical director Ken Corfield said money and labour had been wasted through the mismanagement of the rollout.
"The conduits could sit like that for years before someone gives us NBN," Mr Corfield said.
"That's thousands of dollars we've put into the ground and absolutely no return on our investment."
Mr Corfield said the uncertainty surrounding the scheme indicated Gladstone would not receive NBN.
"Gladstone won't see the NBN because it doesn't have appropriate infrastructure," he said.
Mr Corfield also questioned the relationship between telcos Telstra and NBN Co, suggesting developer contracts with NBN couldn't be reversed.
"The scary part is the contractor has invested all this money and paid NBN to do this," he said.
"And while he hasn't held hands with Telstra, he's been holding hands with NBN."
This comes as NBN Co revealed 110 homes had taken up services on the $36 billion network last year.
