High speed down under [update]

An Australian national broadband network began as a 2007 election campaign promise. Liberal party Senator Helen Coonan, then communications minister, said it couldn't be done. The Labor party's telecom expert, Senator Stephen Conroy, thought otherwise. Now that Conroy's party is in the majority, he's taken over as communications minister, and Australia plans to invest AUS $4.7 billion (US $3.1 billion) in a national network. After numerous delays and worry that the government would not follow through, the project seems to be on track-telecommunication companies vying for the job are to submit their proposals by 26 November. The government plans to pick a winner in early 2009.