There’s a theory I’ve seen that it was to help Murdoch and Telstra.

Murdoch and Telstra owned Foxtel. Telstra also owned the HFC cable that Foxtel used to transmit it’s pay tv.

Now, Netflix, and online sports viewing was becoming possible and popular via the internet. And with faster internet, everyone would be able to do it. And they wouldn’t be locked in to Telstra for fast HFC cable internet, or for Foxtel for it’s entertainment or sports content.

So, Murdoch and Telstra had 2 problems:

• The implementation of fibre to the home would leave them with obsolete copper and HFC physical assets worth nothing.
• Foxtel was not ready with it’s internet centric apps and distribution AND competitors already were. Uh-oh! My subscribers!

So, how would a government solve to appease these people?

• You make the NBN a ‘multi-technology’ strategy.
• You buy up the copper and HFC assets that will be worthless from Telstra for billions.
• You make everything as complex as possible so that implementation will be slower, buying Foxtel more time to transfer their business processes and apps to the internet, while at the same time holding back their competitors

“Sooner, cheaper and more affordably” became later, more expensive and at much higher cost.