NBN staff receive $78 million

NBN staff received $78 million in bonuses last year.

That seems fair enough. These poor people have been dealing with the inadequacies of the strategy and the resulting customer disatisfaction.

The article this is from, https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-says-network-stress-test-during-covid-grounds-for-78m-in-bonuses-562728, says...

Chair lauds "extraordinary" performance.

NBN Co chair Dr Ziggy Switkowski has defended the payment of almost $78 million in bonuses to staff last financial year, arguing the network survived a major “real-time stress test” that was worthy of reward.

Appearing before senate estimates on Friday last week, Switkowski - who chairs the company’s remuneration committee - said the network and the team building and operating it had delivered an “extraordinary outcome” for Australian internet users during the pandemic.

What I dispute about this is the phrasing of it being the result of a "real-time stress test of the network".

Considering the NBN we have is NOT the NBN we were sold...

...AND if it was anywhere near that, what happened during COVID should not have been a "stress" test, it should have been well within the limits the system was supposed to handle.

Remember all those NBN ad's showing floating 3D avatars doing medical examinations, conducting school lessons, helping the elderly and injured with therapy...and all the other things it still can't do?

Well I do.

Despite not even really being completed, much of the NBN is already slated for upgrades (at an additional cost of $4.5 billion of taxpayer's money). Certains elements are actually heading for their 2nd or third round of upgrades...just to keep up with demand (and mostly still disappointing).

I also remember all those refunds ISPs had to make because they couldn't delvier the data speeds they'd promised and charged people for.

No, COVID was not a stress test. It's load was far less than the connected, ubiquitous high speed network promise we'd been sold.

So, sure, pay the poor frontline staff a bonus, but take it out of the pockets of the politicians and management.

Because, we the customers...the taxpayers who have already paid for it anyway...certainly don't need to pay for it a third and 4th time.

https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-says-network-stress-test-during-covid-grounds-for-78m-in-bonuses-562728