﻿ Could USO changes be poisoning the well? | ZDNet  Could USO
changes be poisoning the well?  Summary: There must be something
in the water in Canberra. After years of measured inaction, the
Coalition is taking long-overdue steps towards universal
broadband and working around Telstra's continued domination --
after 10 years of deregulation -- of the country's
telecommunications wholesale markets.   The government will
never be able to escape criticism that it's just acting now to
buy votes. Nonetheless, Communications Minister Helen Coonan
faces an even bigger potential problem if her latest gamble
turns sour. This folly is a review of the Universal Service
Obligation (USO), that legislatively enforced standard that
requires Telstra provide all Australians with telecommunications
at least as good as using a carrier pigeon.  Supported by an
industry fund established with the initial sale of Telstra and
intended to ensure services for Australians in commercially
difficult areas, the USO mandates access to a ser