Australia’s first WiMAX operator has branded the technology as a “miserable failure” and has decided to close its WiMAX network which they described as a “disaster.” Telstra’s head of Public Policy & Communication, Dr Phil Burgess has called on the government to finally terminate the failed $1 billion OPEL give-away which is based on the WiMAX technology.

“Today's revelation is another nail in the coffin of Opel, providing even more compelling evidence that the government needs to terminate the $1 billion give-away of Australian taxpayers' money to the failed Optus/Opel consortium.” Dr Phil Burgess said.

Revelations published today in Communications Day say that that Buzz Broadband CEO Garth Freeman “slammed the technology” at an international WiMAX conference in Bangkok. The CEO also said that WiMAX was “mired in opportunistic hype.” Buzz Broadband was the first operator to use the WiMAX technology in Australia.

Dr Burgess went on to say, “We have been telling this story for months. It's time to wake-up. The wireless community understands the truth. The market understands the truth. Consumers are learning the truth. The technology community understands the truth. The truth is that WiMAX does not work; a truth that is widely recognised around the world. The Rudd Labor Government did not make the WiMax/Opel decision - surely it does not want to now waste nearly $1 billion of taxpayers' money on a technology that does not work based on a decision by its political predecessors. Today's revelations are the last straw - the Government must terminate the $1 billion give-away of Australian taxpayers' money to the failed Optus/Opel consortium on a technology that does not work to duplicate services that already exist. Spending $1 billion on Opel and WiMAX defies logic; hurts the taxpayer; undermines true, investment-based competition; and once again short changes regional, rural, and remote Australia. “