On Wed, 07 May 2008 05:19:32 +0000, Alan Parkington wrote:

> From
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...07/2237599.htm
>
> Telstra has criticised the former federal government over funding delays
> for pay phones in remote communities around the Northern Territory.
>
> A national newspaper has reported that a baby died last week after its
> family had to walk 10 kilometres from the remote Centralian community of
> Blackwater to Pupunya for medical treatment.

"Telstra kills baby" would be a better headline.

> The area general manager for Telstra Country Wide says the pay phone at
> the community was removed in 2004 after vandalism and funding for a
> replacement was only approved by the federal communications department
> last week.

No doubt it was vandalised because it didn't work.

> Mark Sweet says funding for pay phones in Indigenous communities was
> announced last year, but is not quickly reaching Telstra.
>
> "Under our universal service obligation, we'll generally provide a
> payphone facility to any Indigenous community or community with a
> population of more than 50 people.
>
> "Certainly for these smaller communities and the like, the previous
> federal government recognised that federal funding was needed to do it.
>
> "Unfortunately, it just hasn't flowed as well as it might."

In other words, the funding didn't get to where it was meant to go. Some
scumbag tel$cum boss probably pocketed it.

> He says more than half of all remote communities are without pay phones.