The lies and decpetion of the current Federal Government just continue to multiply.

THE government has backflipped on one of its key promises to the regional independents by proposing to allow the National Broadband Network to charge different access prices to regional and rural Australians.

Documents on the NBN legislation circulated by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy reveal the NBN Co could one day have the discretion to charge different prices for bush communities using wireless and satellite services than their city counterparts using fibre-optic cable.

The government has vowed repeatedly that there would be uniform pricing across the nation, but explanatory notes to the laws now say: “The price for NBN Co’s entry-level service must be the same across Australia and across NBN Co’s fibre, wireless and satellite networks. However, the prices for higher-speed services only need to be uniform within a specified technology, and not across all technologies.”…

(Independent Tony) Windsor said last night he expected the government to honour its promise “that NBN Co will charge the same amount for an equivalent service whether someone lives in the country or the city and whether it is delivered by fibre or wireless/satellite”.

(Independent Rob) Oakeshott said he had no evidence that the agreements on uniform wholesale pricing regardless of location, which were a “substantial long-term win for regional Australia”, had been breached.

But he warned: “If there is any evidence to suggest otherwise . . . it will be pursued vigorously.”