Second rate Super GoatTrack

When it comes to communications technology I expect Australians are not alone in enduring second rate services. Sure we have a particular and ongoing corporate/political battle resulting in retention of an antediluvian network infrastructure. In the past few weeks we’ve found out just how antediluvian.

In the wake of a series of severe storms and local flooding, not too local fortunately, we lost internet connection. A phone call assured us the state was out and suggested about five hours to restore service. The next day, and for many days later we had no service, even tough the ISP was up.

To date, besides the frustration and loss of connection, it has cost us hours on the phone to Punjabi operators and the cost of a new router/modem set up. Having sorted every other problem and obtained an intermittent service the problem now seems to be isolated to the copper wire service on the other side of our wall.

Of course no one wants responsibility for that issue, for the fact we live in a high humidity, high salt laden environment and wires in the junction box are merely twisted together and not soldered. Industry best practice seems woefully inadequate! Which brings us to a joyless celebration…

Adios Sol Trujillo

The now privatized Telstra is one of Australia’s biggest corporation and unfortunately the owner of our telecom network infrastructure; the roots of our ongoing corporate/political battle. There are some Americans who will know the reputation of Sol Trujillo, CEO of Telstra for the best part of past four years.

It seems Sol is a sensitive character and can’t understand why Aussies joke about his Hispanic antecedents. Fair go Sol, this is a country that calls a spade a nig nog; racial sensitivity is not our strong suit. But really, racial epithets are nothing to the sort of insults Sol and his amigos deserve.

Under Sol’s watch the general attitude from Telstra has been ‘fuck you’ to Australians, our politicians and regulators. “We don’t do things your way in America!” I guess given that Sol was rarely in Australia during the time he managed this major corporation suggest he never had the opportunity to understand Aussie ways.

One thing he did understand is that his exit needed to happen before a four year deadline on local tax exemption. Perhaps that deadline should be pulled back so we can get rid of arseholes like So more quickly. Even at a $30 mill price tag its worth seeing him off.

Cognisant of Sol’s racial sensitivities the Aussie PM Rudd received the departure news in true local spirit. Just one word – adios! Sol has pretty much destroyed any credibility Telstra had left so now we might get down to building a reasonably reliable communications network here. At the very least we might start soldering copper wire connections.