Tune in weekly for Twisted Wire, Phil Dobbie's weekly podcast on the tangled mess that is Australia's telecommunications industry.
Phil Dobbie has a wealth of radio and business experience. He started his career in commercial radio in the UK and, since coming to Australia in 1991, has held senior marketing and management roles with Telstra, OzEmail, the British Tourist Authority and other telecommunications, media, travel and advertising businesses.
Things are not going smoothly for Senator Conroy. He had hoped for a smooth passage of his telecommunications reform bill that would see Telstra's power divided and the creation of a wholesale only network that could be vended in to the new NBN.
On last week's program we asked whether exposure to your mobile phone is increasing your risk of contracting cancer or having a brain tumour. The jury is out on that question, with the scientific community divided and no conclusive proof either way.
Enrico Grani was a little under 40 when he collapsed at home in Adelaide. He assumed he was having a stroke. Two weeks later doctors found a massive tumour in his brain. Enrico is convinced it was caused by mobile phone use.
Most people would describe the digital divide as the discrepancy in the availability of new technologies, particularly broadband. On that basis, the roll-out of the NBN (extending broadband to almost every household in Australia) should be good news as it will lessen the divide.
Submissions close this week on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Review of Access Pricing, where telcos say how they think pricing for Telstra's customer access network should look.
Given the population's strong love for wireless, is the government's planned $43 billion National Broadband Network burning cash by taking fibre all the way to the home?
TPG and iiNet are neck and neck in terms of customer numbers, battling it out for the position of third largest provider. Will the company that comes out on top with the most customers be the ultimate winner, or will other factors come into play?
In March, Channel 7 will launch its latest in a line of telecommunications ventures when vividwireless starts selling WiMax broadband to the folks of Perth.
Although the carriers tell me consumer demand won't exceed wireless capacity, I don't think I'm alone in experiencing regular drop-outs.
Last year the telecommunications industry set new records. Record complaints to the TIO. Record complaints from the ACCC. Why are telecommunications companies getting it wrong?