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The Liberals appear to have backflipped on NBN commitments that could see parts of Tasmania miss out on super-fast fibre-to-the-home broadband.
Federal Liberal Leader Tony Abbott's Economic Growth Plan for Tasmania released yesterday tweaks previous pledges made by communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.
While Mr Turnbull had previously committed to honouring all NBNCo's contracts in the state, the Liberal plan honours ``all existing construction contracts that are under way''.
Tasmanian ICT chief executive Dean Winter said that minor change could have a major impact in the state.
``If the Coalition's position is to only honour contacts that are already under construction, then thousands of Tasmanian households and businesses would miss out on fibre to the premises NBN and receive the less expensive fibre to the node NBN instead,'' Mr Winter said.
The Liberal plan also pledges to complete the Tasmanian NBN rollout by 2019 - four years later than Labor's proposed end.
``We need to know whether Mr Turnbull's policy remains intact, or if the Economic Growth Plan has overturned his commitment to Tasmania,'' Mr Winter said.