Who would have thought that readers of Crikey, an online publication, would have some opinions about the internet? Readers offered a great deal of insight into the questions surrounding new 5G technology, particularly regarding how it may knock the NBN off its perch. Meanwhile, we dealt with yet another Scott Morrison Israel push, and, elsewhere, after Helen Razer tackled the continued practice of cryonics our readers came out swinging on their own.

On the implications of 5G technology in Australia

Former Internet Australia CEO, Laurie Patton writes: The reason why 5G will damage the NBN is because the Coalition abandoned a fast broadband model in favour or its inferior strategy using old copper wires. The so-called FTTN network serving about 30% of premises simply cannot deliver the speeds achievable with 5G.

Needtoknow writes: You may well ask why Australian telcos paid the highest prices in the world for the licences, that is clearly because they have a track record of charging Australian consumers the highest prices in the world for their data plans. Shockingly poor governance that allows commercial concerns to rort the public of such critical infrastructure. 5G further widens the digital divide.

Bref writes: On another note, just as the international community looks askance at Huawei, so they will eschew anything developed and/or manufactured in Australia if the govt proceeds with its crazy scheme to enforce “back doors” into all new data products.

Hyperstimulated writes: I feel the “threat” to the NBN is, as always, overstated. While the speeds may be slightly comparable under ideal conditions, it fails to take into account the cost of data.

3 Policy Options writes: The regulators shouldn’t focus on “competitive outcomes” because they have no idea how that affects the price. If we gave it to the telcos for free they would still charge customers as much as they can. The 4G spectrum got over $3 billion because that is what the telcos thought it was worth. ACMA has dudded the Australian taxpayer again — they should not be allowed to run any spectrum sale processes.

On Morrison’s latest Israel misstep

Robert Smith writes: There seems to be a pattern here. Recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital but don’t move the embassy. Agree to a corruption commission but don’t give it real power to investigate corruption. Promise a freedom of religion act but put the hard questions off to another enquiry. This guy really knows how to make the tough decisions.

Ill fares the land writes: It seems that one of Morrison’s most glaring weaknesses is yet again on rich and glorious display here. By that I mean his apparent refusal to consult. This was one of the major criticisms levelled by the Board of Tourism Australia when he was the CEO and he seems compelled to repeat those behaviours as PM.

On the continued popularity of cryonics

Bruce Graham writes: The reason doctors are few among those who sign up is twofold: firstly, anybody with an ounce of serious biological insight can recognise the magical thinking. Secondly, most people who work in health care have made some sort of peace with death. Cryonics is for those who cannot imagine a world without themselves, and fantasise that a high priced contract will still be good in some mythical future where somebody cares enough to spend the money honouring it.

AR writes: Razer has pinged the self obsessed hubris — “betting that some future generation is going to be so strapped for people that it needs to start defrosting some of us” — which has always amused me, rather like those who have a bunch of kids apparently under the impression that the world needs more copies, however feint, of themselves.

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