The Australian government has introduced new legislation that would require infrastructure owners to divulge confidential information about their assets for the next-gen broadband network (NBN).
It has been attacked by the opposition communications spokesman, Nick Minchin, who said it was “extraordinary” that the government was forcing “potential competitors… to hand over information that might be of use in the development of its own network.”
Another pressing issue is the need to protect the confidentiality and security of information collected, he added.
The bill, which applies to power, water, gas and transport providers as well as telcos, has been sent to a committee.
The committee will look at whether the new powers are necessary and if adequate privacy provisions are in place.
The NBN will be builtby a company majority-owned and funded by the Australian government. The government will sell stakes in the company to private sector companies, and has expressed an interest in trading shares for infrastructure.