The Minister for Broadband, Stephen Conroy, has told local government that aerial cabling for the Federal Government's $42 billion broadband network will be less obtrusive than the Telstra and Optus cabling of the mid-1990s.  "The Government is well aware of interest in how the rollout may interact with local planning laws and impact on local environments,'' Senator Conroy said. ''We have indicated that where possible and cost effective, fibre optic lines can and will be placed underground.  'In other instances, aerial cabling may be faster and more cost effective. It may be that local government can assist by providing access to facilities they might control such as ducts and rights of way."

Senator Conroy has quoted Dr Jonathon Spring, the architect of the Tasmanian implementation, as saying fibre optic is ''very attractive'' compared with earlier cabling because the wires are much smaller and can be deployed higher up the poles.  No decisions had been made yet about the ratio of overhead fibre and underground cables.