Australia extends deadline for broadband network

SYDNEY, Mar 25 (AFP): Australian senators have extended by two-and-a-half years the deadline for completion of the country's national broadband network in order to connect an extra million homes. The company building the Aus$36 billion ($36 billion) system, NBN Co, now has until December 2020 to build the infrastructure across the vast continent, instead of the original June 2018 date. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said more time was needed to wire up 93 per cent of residences, rather than the 90 per cent first planned, to the high-speed optical fibre network. The government argues the broadband network will boost the economy and ease isolation for the huge country's rural regions, but the opposition claims it is too expensive. Conroy forced an extra day of debate on the scheme after unveiling 23 pages of amendments to existing NBN legislation late last Wednesday.