The release of the latest NBN Co Annual Report confirms Malcolm Turnbull continues to stuff up his own second-rate NBN.

NBN Co Chairman, Ziggy Switkowski, and CEO, Bill Morrow admitted that there will be “challenges” delivering Malcolm Turnbull’s flawed multi-technology mix.

Can Malcolm Turnbull really afford more challenges with the rollout of the NBN?  Malcolm Turnbull has shown Australians he doesn’t do well when challenged.

For all the Turnbull rhetoric on the NBN, the Report reveals:

• activations now sit at just over 1 million, which is 7 million activations away from the 2020 delivery goal;
• if the current rate of activations continues, it will be impossible for NBN Co to meet its 2020 delivery deadline; and
• this is compounded by revelations that up to 1.5 million premises will no longer receive an HFC connection as promised and will instead be forced to rely on copper.

Yet, Chairman, Ziggy Switkowski, has gone on record saying the operating performance of the project under his stewardship has been “exceptional” and has paid out taxpayer funded bonuses to this effect.

Concerns also continue with the NBN Sky Muster service, with consumers in many parts of Australia voicing their disappointment about the problems they have faced just trying to connect to the satellite service, which Malcolm Turnbull described as a game changer.

All of these issues point to the chaotic and uncertain state of the rollout.  In addition, it also exposes one of the key challenges that will be faced by NBN Co to raise private debt when its public funding is exhausted.

Meanwhile as NBN Co struggles with these challenges, residents and businesses around Australia face a daily challenge of just trying to establish a reliable broadband connection, something Malcolm Turnbull promised they would have by the end of this year.

THURSDAY, 22 SEPTEMBER 2016